‘Ahead of schedule’ - manager provides positive injury update on Liverpool star

Guinea manager Kaba Diawara is hoping that Naby Keita will be available for international duty later this month.

The midfielder has made just on substitute appearance for Liverpool this season - which came in the Community Shield victory over Manchester City in July.

Keita was first ill before suffering a muscle injury. As a result, he was omitted from the Reds’ Champions League squad for the group stage along with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Despite being on the treatment table, the 27-year-old has been named in Guinea’s squad for games against Algeria (23 September) and Ivory Coast (27 September).

And Diawara has insisted he’s giving his captain ‘a chance’ to get fit and be available.

Speaking to the Guinea Football Federation’s website, he said: “Naby Keita is injured and he is recovering from his injury.

“His situation is improving and he is even ahead of schedule.

“We took a group of 24 players precisely to give him a chance to be able to count on him because he is a very important player for us, on and off the pitch, he is our captain.”