Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita has been ruled out of this weekend’s Premier League game against Manchester United, but Joel Matip could return.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp provided an injury update at his pre-match press conference on Friday.
“Naby is not ready for involvement,” said Klopp. “It’s not a big thing. It’s a little bit like with other players in the past when they came back from injuries and then because of the amount of games and situation in the squad they had to play.
“Then a little injury happened again. Now we just had to put on the brake and say: ‘Let’s settle it properly’.
![[FILE] Liverpool’s Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Salah (L) runs with the ball as Arsenal’s Brazilian defender Gabriel closes in during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in London. (Photo by Catherine Ivill / POOL / AFP)](https://www.afriupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/000_97B779-scaled-e1703231851386-120x86.jpg "Liverpool host Arsenal in battle for Premier League Christmas No. 1 2")
“In the moment we have alternatives in midfield, so we really try to give him all the time he needs to get 100 per cent fit. That’s the situation, so no, he is not in contention for Sunday.”
Centre-back Matip has not featured since suffering an adductor injury against West Brom on December 27 and Jordan Henderson started in defence against Southampton.
Klopp revealed: “Joel is close. Does it now make sense to throw him into a game with one or two sessions, which he didn’t do yet, but today (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday) he might be involved?
“To bring him (in), I don’t know. We have to see, we have to decide, we have to look at him and how he will train, how he looks in training and these kind of things, but we have still different solutions.
Recall that Manchester United secured a vital 1-0 victory over Burnley on Tuesday night to go top of the Premier League.
Paul Pogba scored the decisive goal in a hard-fought contest at Turf Moor, meaning United are now three points clear of Liverpool — who they face this weekend at Anfield.
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“Hendo (Jordan Henderson) is very important in midfield for us as well, so we just have to see. It’s not decided yet, why should I?”
Keita’s confirmed absence means Liverpool will be without five senior first-team players for the United match.
Central defenders Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are both sidelined by long-term knee injuries, with full-back Konstantinos Tsimikas and forward Diogo Jota currently out of action, also with knee injuries.
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