Insider: Liverpool told they can’t trust Naby Keita and big-name teammate after latest twist
Liverpool can no longer rely on Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
Keita made his return from a hamstring injury in Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat to Lyon in a mid-season friendly last week (11 December).
However, the 27-year-old was not spotted in training on Tuesday (13 December) but he was shown in a video released by club media back out with his teammates on Thursday (15 December).
“This is a difficult one because we know that Naby Keita has well-documented injury problems that go back a long time,” Dinnery told Football Insider‘s Connor Whitley.
“In fact, for the majority of his career and over the past two or three seasons he’s been heavily blighted by setbacks.
“Again, he’s probably a player like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Could Jurgen Klopp wholly rely on those two players to physically cope with the demands of two or even three games a week? I doubt that at this moment in time.
“There’s nothing to suggest in recent history to suggest that would be realistic or attainable for either of those two.
“I think Keita and the Ox are there to be on the periphery and come in sporadically in domestic cup games to ease the load and minutes on those regular starters.
“I think Naby Keita has to, hopefully, put a string of performances together by making a difference and impact from the bench. It will depend on how he comes through that.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen him without any setback. If he does, then Jurgen Klopp could look to utilise him even more.
“There are certainly question marks as to whether he can come through these games without picking up problems.”
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