Earlier in the week, we were told by a few publications, notably the Express, that Naby Keita had a chance of returning to action this weekend for the tie with Newcastle.
But it doesn’t appear that the Guinean is even training outside with the first-team yet, based on the training gallery uploaded by the official website.
The midfielder hasn’t played a minute of football this season, after picking up an untimely injury on the eve of the Super Cup fixture with Chelsea.
His niggling issues seem to last ages, which makes his absence all the more frustrating.
Since arriving in the summer of 2018, Keita has only shown glimpses of his undeniable talent, which is a big shame considering the hype that surrounded his purchase.
At first, it seemed he hadn’t settled into the city and the squad, but now that is no longer an issue and the situation is purely in regards to his fitness.
We’d have a fit Keita in Klopp’s best team nearly every time – but he needs to start proving us right.
Maybe a nice fixture for Keita to return will be the EFL Cup game with MK Dons, which is in 12 days’ time.