Naby Keita has returned to action recently after missing the start of the campaign through injury and the No. 8’s impressive display against Wolves recently means he’s in contention to start against Chelsea at the weekend.
Graham Potter’s side visit Anfield on Saturday lunchtime looking to leapfrog the Reds in the Premier League table and narrow the gap between themselves and the Champions League spots.
Liverpool, meanwhile, will be looking to build on the 1-0 victory at Molineux in what was a much improved performance from the dismal display against Brighton last weekend.
Keita was one of eight changes made by Jurgen Klopp for the FA Cup replay and the former RB Leipzig man impressed in the middle of the park alongside Thiago Alcantara and man of the match Stefan Bajcetic.
Our No. 8 didn’t necessarily do anything spectacular, but he retained possession with fast neat exchanges of play with his teammates and helped control the tempo at which the game was played – especially during the first half.
The impressive performance of all in Red in the Midlands earlier this week means Klopp has tricky decisions to make in regards to what team he puts out against Chelsea.
Our midfield looked a lot more assured against Julian Lopetegui’s side than it has done for a long while and although senior figures like Jordan Henderson and Fabinho were missing, their absence was not felt.
As things stand, the Guinea international is set to leave the club as a free agent at the end of the season when his contract expires but if he continues his impressive form of late we could see him remain a Liverpool player beyond the summer.
There’s no denying that he hasn’t lived upto his potential since his £52m from the Bundesliga in 2018 with injuries regularly limiting his game time, but with Klopp admitting that further incomings this month are unlikely, Keita could play a huge role in helping fire us towards the top four during the second half of the campaign.
Check his best bits from our clash with Wolves below via @CF_Compss on Twitter:
Naby Keita vs. Wolves
— CF Comps (@CF_Compss) January 18, 2023