Naby Keita a doubt for start of Liverpool’s season

by Staff Reporter

Wednesday Jul 03, 2019. 09:15

Naby Keita is a doubt for the start of Liverpool’s 2019/20 season after aggravating his groin injury while representing Guinea at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.

The midfielder flew back to England for assessment by his Premier League club, having suffered a recurrence of the adductor injury he picked up against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League in May.

“Yes, he has gone for a medical consultation [at Liverpool] – as you know he was the victim of a lot of heavy challenges in the game against Nigeria,” Guinea’s press officer, Mamadou Camara, revealed to the BBC.

“So he consulted with medical staff over there [at Liverpool] and they asked him to come back for two days.

“The idea is that he is here to play in the last 16 but I don’t think we can say he will 100 percent.”

Camara added, “After so many heavy tackles, the coach withdrew him before the end of the match and the day after, he was examined here and he tried to do some training but the medicine did not help relieve the pain.

“He picked this injury up in the semifinals of the European Champions League and he has been training and playing but never at 100 percent and we have to think about after the Nations Cup.

“I don’t think he can play a full 90 minutes at the moment but if he can start and then be taken off that’s a very good thing.

“The manager will have to keep managing him as he has been doing.”