Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has said to the club’s official website that Naby Keita will not play against Manchester United.
Keita has been struggling with injury of late and missed training throughout the week.
As a result Klopp does not want to risk Keita at Anfield on Sunday.
And he has suggested that the Liverpool midfielder could be out for some time yet, as they want to make sure he recovers fully.
“Not ready,” Klopp said. “He’s not ready for involvement. Not a big thing but it’s a little bit like other players in the past, when they came back from injuries, and then because of the amount of games and situation in the squad they had to play, then pick up a little injury again.
“Now we have to put in a little bit of a break and say ‘come on, let’s settle it properly’.
“At the moment we have alternatives in midfield and so we really try and give him all the time he needs to get 100% fit and that’s the situation, he’s not in contention for Sunday.”
Keita’s absence is frustrating for Liverpool, as his creativity could have aided them on Sunday.
It rather sums up the 25-year-old’s time on Merseyside that is out for their biggest game of the season so far, though.
Keita has consistently been struggling to stay fit for a run of games.
And, despite his quality, there must be concerns over his future at Liverpool now, as Klopp simply cannot rely on a player who is proving to be so unreliable.
If Liverpool can beat United at the weekend then they will move back to the top of the Premier League table.
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