Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp left Naby Keita on the bench last night.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp told Amazon Prime Video that he ‘was not brave enough’ to start Naby Keita against Everton on Wednesday night.
The Reds hosted their Merseyside rivals in a game that Liverpool were expected to coast, and they did just that after Divock Origi’s early opener.
Xherdan Shaqiri made it 2-0, and whilst Michael Keane pulled one back for Everton, Origi and Sadio Mane found the net to restore the two-goal Liverpool lead.
Richarlison did give Everton some hope on the stroke of half time, but Liverpool saw out the second half and added some gloss when Georginio Wijnaldum fired home the fifth.
Klopp was able to rotate his side and still secure a huge win, with fringe players like Origi, Shaqiri and Adam Lallana impressing at Anfield.
One player who didn’t get a kick was midfielder Keita, who was an unused substitute as he continues to try and find his best form and fitness this season.
After the game, Klopp did suggest that Keita is now in ‘outstanding shape’, but didn’t want to make a sixth change to his team having already made five.
Klopp admitted he was ‘not brave enough’ to make that change, otherwise Keita would have played, so expect to see the Guinean midfielder in action soon.
“Now, in this moment, he is in outstanding shape,” said Klopp. “But we changed five positions, and I was not brave enough to change a sixth position, that was the problem, otherwise he would have played as well,” he added.
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