Jurgen Klopp has told Liverpool’s official website that he doesn’t think Naby Keita will be available for Wednesday.
The Premier League champions aim to bounce back from Sunday’s 1-1 draw with West Brom by beating Newcastle United at St James’s Park.
Keita, a £52 million signing in 2018, was unavailable to face the Baggies last night due to a muscle injury.
And Klopp does not believe that he’ll make the trip to Tyneside either.
He said: “He felt a muscle again,” the manager said of the No.8’s absence. “I don’t know exactly how long [it will be], but he was not ready for today and not for Wednesday, I think. We will see.”
Worrying
The fact that the Liverpool boss used the word ‘again’ pretty much sums up Keita’s problems.
For whatever reason, the former Leipzig midfielder is struggling in a big way to stay fit.
Him and Joel Matip seem to yoyo in and out of the treatment room at The Axa Training Centre and the fact that Keita is absent again is a bit of a concern.
The 25-year-old only managed nine Premier League starts last term and is only on six this season.
With Thiago Alcantara also sidelined right now, and Fabinho forced to play central defence, Klopp doesn’t have the luxury of his midfield players being absent, which makes it more important that the Guinea international returns as soon as possible.
But even when he does, you get the feeling he’s never too far from being injured again.
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