We have yet to be given a real time frame on when Naby Keita may return to action this season but his omission from our Champions League group stage squad, appeared to be a telling indicator of when he may be back on the pitch.
However, this has been turned upside down by news that our No.8 has been selected in the Guinea squad for the upcoming friendlies against Algeria and the Ivory Coast.
With these games set to take place in a couple of weeks time, why then has our midfielder not been given a return date by the club nor been selected to be part of the European squads?
It’s hard to really give an answer at this stage but this may point towards bigger issues between the player and the club, with plenty of speculation in the summer suggesting that the 27-year-old wanted to leave Anfield.
With the likes of Ibou Konate and Jordan Henderson not expected to be fit until after the international break but both featuring in Jurgen Klopp’s squad for Europe – this news becomes all the more peculiar.
It could be the case that the African nation are selecting the former RB Leipzig man because they don’t know the full extent of his injury, with the player being both captain and comfortably the best player for his country.
If the player remains absent from our squads but features in the upcoming friendly international matches, this could point towards some bigger issues within our camp.
You can view the confirmation of Keita’s call-up via @fgfofficiel on Twitter:
La liste des joueurs retenus pour affronter l’Algérie (23 septembre) et la Côte d’Ivoire (27 septembre) en amical.
Tous les détails ici https://t.co/laC8SLj1IM #FGF #CONORFGF #SyliNational pic.twitter.com/1IC1l4jQyF
— Fédération Guinéenne de Football (@fgfofficiel) September 7, 2022
#Ep58 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Rating Liverpool’s UCL group, making a new signing… & more!