Liverpool have been dealt a late injury setback ahead of their upcoming Champions League meeting with Benfica this evening.
What’s the latest?
That’s according to Dylan Terry, with the Independent journalist revealing in a recent article that, despite returning to training ahead of the Reds’ trip to Portugal, Nabby Keita remains a doubt for the quarter-final first-leg tie on Thursday night.
In his piece, Terry writes: “Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to return for Klopp’s side after missing the win over Watford on Saturday. Curtis Jones and Joe Matip are set to be available, but Naby Keita remains a doubt. The rest of the Liverpool squad are all fit and ready for the game.”
Klopp will be gutted
While it is true that Keita has not exactly been a first-team regular at Anfield this season, the fact that the midfielder remains a doubt for the trip to Benfica is nevertheless sure to have left Jurgen Klopp gutted.
Indeed, despite having missed a host of games already this season due to injury, the £27m-rated dynamo has still managed to impress over his 15 Premier League outings, scoring two goals, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.7 key passes, 0.7 interceptions, 2.5 tackles and winning 3.7 duels – at a success rate of 53% – per game.
These returns have seen the £130k-per-week Guinea international average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.15, ranking him as Klopp’s ninth-best performer in the top flight of English football.
As such, the news that the 27-year-old could well be set to miss out once again on Thursday evening is sure to have caused the German coach and his backroom staff a great deal of frustration – as it is clear that a fit and firing Keita is a fantastic option for Liverpool to be able to call upon.
AND in other news: Liverpool now plotting bid for “unplayable” £58m machine, it could be bye-bye Salah
