Injured Liverpool man ‘ahead of schedule’ as peculiar situation emerges after Jurgen Klopp snub

Guinea manager Kaba Diawara has insisted that Naby Keita is nearing a return to action, despite his exclusion from Liverpool’s Champions League squad.

The midfielder has enjoyed rare spells of form since moving to Anfield but not enough to warrant a regular starting role. Instead, injuries have dominated the rhetoric of his career on Merseyside.

And this season is proving no different. In fact, as far as Liverpool’s recent decisions go, his injury situation has put Keita more in the spotlight.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp did not include him in his squad for the group stages of Europe’s premier competition.

According to Guinea boss Diawara, though, Keita is not far off getting minutes back on the pitch.

“His situation is improving and he is even ahead of schedule,” the coach said.

“We took a group of 24 players precisely to give him a chance to be able to count on him because he is a very important player for us, on and off the pitch, he is our captain.

“We are monitoring his situation very closely, we still have a little over two weeks before our first game. Chances are we could get him back by then.”

Guinea are due to play Algeria and Ivory Coast later this month in international friendlies. The Liverpool Echo claims that Keita will not feature as he continues to build up his fitness.

Keita not only notable Liverpool absentee

Liverpool also did not include Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in their Champions League squad. The Englishman has what Klopp said earlier this year is a “serious” hamstring injury.

The fact that both players are running down the final year of their contracts without minutes has added fuel to the fire of Liverpool’s problems in midfield.

Captain Jordan Henderson also has an injury. Thiago Alcantara has returned, with new signing Arthur Melo also integrating himself into the first team.

However, the problems do not seem to end for Liverpool across the pitch this season.

They have faced criticism for their drop in intensity and refusing to budge their high line, which Jamie Carragher claimed created a perfect storm for Napoli to score four in Wednesday’s Champions League rout.

Fabinho has not looked himself, either. The burden has subsequently been on youngsters Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho to step up and deliver.

Liverpool attracting unwanted attention for first time

The situations involving Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain at Liverpool have transpired to become some of the worst business the Reds have done under Klopp.

The pair are worth £83million altogether, with 2017 signing Keita a record Liverpool signing at the time.

Injuries have not helped them, but the fact is they have not delivered enough to warrant new contracts.

And given the success Klopp has had with most of his other signings, the fact that Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain are stuck on the bench in the final year of their deals is something fans would not have expected.

It therefore needs highlighting as a Liverpool first. It is one which the club should learn from and avoid a repeat of.

Liverpool should have signed another midfielder in the summer because the problem of some of their top options being injury-prone has been clear to see.

The Reds must act in either January or next summer’s transfer window as they look to revamp a midfield which looks to have lost all its purpose.

Jude Bellingham is the obvious candidate from Borussia Dortmund. And he is the one Liverpool are reportedly waiting for.

However, Liverpool should have made alternative plans to spend this summer – and also fit Bellingham in next summer.