Liverpool’s manager Jurgen Klopp is confident that Naby Keita will be available for selection this weekend at the latest.
Liverpool travelled to Belgrade ahead of their Champions League fixture on Tuesday evening with FK Crvena Zvezda, and midfielder Naby Keita was part of the travelling squad.
Jurgen Klopp spoke to liverpoolfc.com about Keita’s return to fitness and how he feels the Reds’ summer signing has been getting on since his arrival at Anfield.
“It was a very good start. He did a proper pre-season from the first day, played fantastic games and made a good start in the league… then he had two [injury] things – in Naples and then with the national team. It was not that long, it only feels it. It was four games.” Klopp said.
“Yesterday was the first time in 100 per cent training so we will now have to see what we do with him for tomorrow. [The start] could have been a bit better, but only because of the injuries; all the rest was good.”
Klopp will be hoping to soon see more of the quality that made Keita a standout performer with RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga during the previous two seasons. The Guinean international chipped in with 14 league goals and 12 assists during his time there.
He had previously cut his cloth with the other RB, RB Salzburg in the Austrian league before making his move to Germany.
Reds fans are yet to see the best of Keita but, if he can get a consistent run of game-time between now and the New Year, he may well be one of the stars to propel Liverpool in the second half of the season.
Keita has the ability to dismantle a low-block defence with his dribbling skills while his natural athleticism is another trait which would have attracted Klopp in the first place. The midfielder has the stamina levels and agility to become a vital cog in Liverpool’s pressing machine. Generally comfortable as a central midfielder with a preference for his team’s attacking third, Keita likes to play ambitious, incisive passes into the opponent’s box at every opportunity.
This bodes well for Klopp and his team when you remember that he will have players like Sadio Mané, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino making the runs ahead of him.
The best is yet to come from Keita and the Premier League will then witness a player with the potential to progress into the ‘world class’ bracket. Keita will be a world beater in the not-too-distant future. Liverpool fans everywhere will be hoping his form skyrockets sooner rather than later.
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