It’s the time of year when “out for the season” is thrown around a little too dramatically, but Naby Keita’s absence threatens to hurt Liverpool’s chances of a Premier League title in some jeopardy.
Only some because the Reds got this far in their campaign without a ton from the 24-year-old Guinean, who will miss about a month with a groin injury which caused him to sub out of Liverpool’s Thursday loss to Barcelona after just 24 minutes.
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The Reds fell 3-0 at the Camp Nou in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal and will have to make their improbable comeback bid without Keita, who appeared in Liverpool’s first eight Premier League matches but has been his most consistent in the latter stages of the campaign.
He has two Premier League goals, both coming in his last four matches, and only Virgil van Dijk and Georginio Wijnaldum have completed more of their passes this season. Keita has seen his numbers dip in several areas since arriving from RB Leipzig, where he was a much important part of the team.
Liverpool still assessing Keita, but injury doesn’t look good. Small adductor tear, a muscle in the groin, will likely be out for a month. So #LFC season over.
— David Maddock (@MaddockMirror) May 2, 2019