Liverpool are in Champions League action tonight, and they face a very tricky trip to Germany to take on RB Leipzig in the first leg of their last 16 clash.
The Reds are in terrible form right now with three straight Premier League defeats against Brighton, Manchester City and Leicester City, so a game against Julian Nagelsmann’s high-energy Leipzig side seems less than ideal.
Liverpool do have a former Leipzig man in their ranks in midfielder Naby Keita, though he only returned to training on Monday, meaning featuring tonight is hard to imagine.
Keita’s last game came in the 7-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace in December – arguably the last time Liverpool really looked their normal selves.
The 26-year-old has once again suffered injury problems this season, limiting him to just seven league appearances and another three in other competitions.
He likely won’t play tonight, but The Athletic report that Liverpool believe Keita can stay injury-free for the rest of the season having returned to training.
Rather than trying to get him back in action quickly, Liverpool have taken an ‘extra cautious’ approach with Keita, led by head of recovery and performance Dr Andreas Schlumberger following his arrival from Schalke in December.
Liverpool now believe that Schlumberger’s work will help keep Keita off the treatment table between now and the end of the season, and possibly beyond after an injury-hit spell at Anfield.
Keita has shown his quality at times this term; Liverpool have failed to win just one of the league games Keita has started this season, and they will now hope to have him back in the fold soon in a potential solution to the current woes.
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