Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita has today returned home to Liverpool, separate from the rest of the squad, after spinal checks were undergone in Naples, according to the Telegraph.
Keita, who joined the Reds this summer for £48 million, was making his first Champions League appearance for his new team but it didn’t go as he would have hoped.
The 23-year old was forced off in the 19th minute, to be replaced by Jordan Henderson, of their disappointing 1-0 defeat to Napoli in the Champions League.
This came after manager Jurgen Klopp only made 1 change from their 1-1 draw against Chelsea a few days earlier; that change being Keita in for Henderson.
It would, therefore, have bought great frustration from the Liverpool manager seeing the Guinean international go to the turf with so few minutes on the clock.
Keita had both MRI and CAT scans after the match to check for any longing spinal issues, it turns out he didn’t and he was discharged soon after.
Any suggestions of a potential heart problem were also dismissed by the Naples doctor which means Keita is able to return to Liverpool without any serious issues.
The Naples doctor even joked about keeping the midfielder a bit longer so he couldn’t play in the reverse fixture.
We’ve recommended a long period of recovery so that he won’t play in Liverpool-Napoli.
Twitter: What the Italian doctors who treated Keita have said about Naby’s health
https://t.co/1UQ1g9D930 (@WeAre_LFC)
Keita remains in contention to start in the heavily anticipated clash with Manchester City this Sunday although it is likely that even if fully fit, skipper Henderson will get the nod.
The Reds go into this game without a win in 3 games in all competitions and are well aware they will have to improve if they are to knock the league leaders off their perch, especially with the usually prolific front 3 struggling to make a mark in recent weeks.
This comes after Liverpool failed to register a shot on target against Napoli for the first time in about 6 years and team-mate Georginio Wijnaldum stating that this was a reality-check so it will be interesting to see which Liverpool turns up at Anfield this weekend.
