Jurgen Klopp has cleared up the confusion over Naby Keita’s injury situation after the midfielder was called up by Guinea, leaving him out of international duty.
Keita has been sidelined with a thigh injury since mid-August, which came amid speculation about the 27-year-old’s future at the club in reports from Germany.
The number 8 was subsequently left out of Liverpool’s Champions League squad along with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, suggesting they would not be available until after all six group stage games, but was then called up by Guinea.
Guinea manager Kaba Diawara stated that Keita was “ahead” of his recovery, with the hope that he could feature in upcoming friendlies against Algeria (September 23) and Ivory Coast (September 27).
But at his press conference ahead of Ajax, a game Keita is now ineligible for, Klopp insisted the player would not be available for his country and revealed the expected date of his return.
“No, I don’t expect him to go into international service,” he told reporters.
“The planned return date was somewhere in October, so we had to make the decision. With Ox it is the same.
“That’s why the two guys are not in the Champions League squad, because after the expected return date, which can always differ a bit, a bit earlier, things like this, [it takes time].
“We had to make the decision now, last week, that’s why we made the decision.”
Klopp’s comments provide some clarity, but given Diawara’s own assessment, confusion still reigns over the situation.
For now though, it should be taken at face value that Keita is indeed injured and faces at least another month out, but with less than a year remaining on his contract, the speculation will no doubt continue.
