Many Liverpool fans were left rubbing their eyes after Jurgen Klopp named his starting lineup for the Reds’ friendly against Lyon in Dubai.
That was because the forgotten man himself, Naby Keita, was remarkably named on the bench for the first time since his hamstring injury that has kept the midfielder sidelined for an astounding five months.
You would be forgiven for forgetting that the Guinea captain played for the Reds, and with his current contract set to expire in June this may be one of the last times we see Keita’s name on a team sheet.
The midfielder hasn’t kicked a ball for the whole of the season so far, contributing massively to Liverpool’s midfield issues they have faced this season leaving them sat 6th in the Premier League table.
Keita has missed 87 games for Liverpool since signing for £50million from RB Leipzig, and for context that number is only 30 games less than the total amount of appearances he has made for Klopp’s side.
Italian Champions, AC Milan, are currently rumoured to be looking at making a move for not just Naby Keita but also Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain whose contract is also set to expire at the end of this season.
The frustrating thing is that both players have plenty of quality and could’ve had a successful Liverpool career if it wasn’t for the injuries that have hampered their careers on the whole- and time is running out.