Injured Liverpool star selected for AFCON tournament
News Central
Liverpool's Guinean midfielder Naby Keita (R) vies with Huddersfield Town's Dutch midfielder Juninho Bacuna during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Huddersfield at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on April 26, 2019. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Oli SCARFF has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Liverpool's Guinean midfielder Naby Keita) instead of [Liverpool's Senegalese striker Sadio Mane]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.
Naby Keita has been named in a 25-man preliminary squad by Guinea for next month’s Africa Cup of Nations finals despite a thigh injury that kept him out of Saturday’s Champions League final.
The Liverpool winger hurt his adductor in the early stages of Liverpool’s semi-final first leg clash at Barcelona on May 1 with manager Jurgen Klopp saying the injury would keep him out for eight weeks.
That effectively ruled him not only out of the last month of Liverpool’s season but also seemingly participation for Guinea at the Cup of Nations in Egypt, which starts on June 21.
Guinea are entitled to call up Keita a fortnight before the tournament and have their own medical team examine him and will be hopeful that the 24-year-old has made a sufficient recovery to be able to compete at the finals, where Guinea are in Group B with Burundi, Madagascar and Nigeria.
Liverpool take on Tottenham in the Champions League final in Madrid on Saturday.
