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For Naby Keita, Liverpool’s Champions League tie with RB Leipzig might have supplied an opportunity to indicate his previous membership what they’re lacking.
Journey restrictions put in place amid the coronavirus pandemic have blocked the primary leg from happening in Germany, so Budapest will as a substitute stage the opening match of the last-16 showdown on Tuesday. Keita, nonetheless, is not going to be there.
Fairly than head to the Hungarian capital with the remainder of the squad, the Guinea worldwide has remained again on Merseyside to proceed his restoration from the most recent damage setback in a Liverpool profession that has flattered to deceive to this point.
There have been vivid moments, occasional performances the place he has demonstrated his class, however too typically these excessive factors have been adopted by a protracted spell on the sidelines.
Keita made 43 league appearances in his first two years in England, however solely 25 of them have been begins. This season, there have been simply seven outings, the final of them on December 19 within the 7-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace, again when the whole lot regarded far rosier in Liverpool’s backyard.
Jurgen Klopp offered a optimistic health replace on the midfielder forward of the Leipzig recreation, revealing: “Naby is not injured however he isn’t match but”. A reunion with his former employers might nonetheless come at Anfield within the return fixture, albeit the German supervisor will not be identified for being sentimental on the subject of workforce choice.
Liverpool have been affected person within the first place simply to get him; having didn’t agree phrases for his instant switch, they as a substitute struck a take care of Leipzig to have him be a part of 12 months later for, on the time, a club-record payment.
“Till I be a part of my new membership, subsequent summer season, I’ll stay an supporter from a distance,” Keita stated when the approaching switch was confirmed. Sadly, too typically he has been caught watching on since. There have been hamstring, thigh, groin and knee points, plus a spell out after contracting COVID-19. It has felt like one step ahead, two again.
Nonetheless, his two seasons at Leipzig – throughout which he contributed 14 targets and 12 assists in 58 Bundesliga video games – demonstrated why Klopp was prepared to attend. Snug with the ball at his toes and able to taking part in the killer cross when working in crowded areas, he was seen as the best attacking menace that might carry the workforce to the subsequent degree.
The Reds have duly raised their requirements, however Keita has been a peripheral determine. He was dominated out of the Champions League closing towards Tottenham in July 2019 and, whereas he performed – and scored – the night time Liverpool lifted the Premier League trophy simply over 12 months later, it was certainly one of solely 14 begins in all competitions.
His solely different league aim throughout that title-winning marketing campaign got here at Bournemouth within the earlier December, when he picked up possession in a pocket of house in entrance of the opposition defence, performed a intelligent one-two with Mohamed Salah after which toe-poked the ball in.
Such moments of high quality served to underline why he was recognized and, finally, signed. Liverpool have not often made big-money errors within the switch market, however Keita has but to reside as much as the hefty payment, which lined his £48million launch clause plus an undisclosed premium that sealed the deal.
Whereas seven targets and 4 assists in 45 begins is to this point a disappointing return on that sizeable funding, exploring Keita’s contributions in higher depth exhibits what he can produce when wholesome.
No participant who had over 20 dribble makes an attempt for Liverpool within the 2019-20 league season had a greater success charge than his 82.14 per cent, whereas his determine for giant probabilities created per 90 minutes (0.55) was one of the best of the lot, too. Add in a mean of 10.95 passes into the ultimate third per 90 and also you see the kind of numbers that counsel he might have made a distinction this time period, notably in video games the place Klopp’s facet have struggled so badly to interrupt down opposing line-ups caught in a low block.
There’s nonetheless time to have a higher influence, after all, however quite than taking centre stage when Liverpool tackle Leipzig, Keita is caught as a spectator as soon as once more, a footnote to the storyline because the knockout phases of the competitors start.
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