Naby Keita could be ‘out for a while,’ writes Dave Maddock in the Mirror.
The Guinean picked up a muscle problem in his hip while training for the Super Cup Final he was set to play in, and has missed our past two games as a result.
Maddock says Keita won’t play against Arsenal next weekend and judging by the tone of his piece, we shouldn’t expect to see the midfielder for some time – which is desperately disappointing.
The 24-year-old missed the majority of pre-season injured, but showed glimpses of his undeniable talent in the last few friendlies and looked set for a big role at the start of this term.
Keita’s decision, and his country’s, to rush back for the AFCON could well be a reason for this current lay-off.
Thankfully we have depth in midfield, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain displayed v Southampton that he can provide dynamism, running and attacking football as part of a central three.
Still, it would be really nice if one of our marquee signings from the entire Jurgen Klopp reign started to fulfil his promise.
There’s still plenty of time, but the wait is becoming increasingly frustrating.