It looks like Wednesday’s League Cup tie with MK Dons could be the return of Naby Keita. The Guinean midfielder has been missing since August with a muscle problem, the latest in a long string of injuries that has led to a stop start beginning to his career at Liverpool.
The midfielder is undoubtedly talented, he has put in some stellar performances in a Liverpool shirt when given the freedom to roam forward from the centre of midfield. He could be just the spark our midfield trio have been missing as of late. Reds assistant Pep Lijnders gave an update on Keita’s progress at his pre match press conference ahead of the trip to Milton Keynes.
In the press conference, available on Liverpool’s YouTube channel, when asked about whether the former Leipzig man could play, he told the gathered media: “Yes. He’s in a really good way”. This is certainly encouraging news for Kopites that have been frustrated by the attacking impotency of the midfield so far this season, Lijnders believes that this is an area that Naby Keita can offer something different in, saying, “he makes our build up play completely different, creates unpredictability.”
If Liverpool are to fight on all fronts this year, they will need more from the middle of the park. So far the Reds have managed to maintain their 100% start in the league by relying on the genius of Roberto Firmino and co, however, at some point they will need a spark from behind them – Keita can provide this, Lijnders described him as “an important player”. Let’s hope he proves as such tomorrow.
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