Guinea Reject Liverpool

By Max Wise

The Guinea Football Federation have rejected Liverpool’s proclamation that Naby Keita will miss the upcoming African Cup of Nations through injury.

Keita picked up an adductor injury and was forced off the field in the first half of Liverpool’s 3-0 loss to Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final at the Nou Camp in midweek.

Ahead of Liverpool’s must win league game against Newcastle United on Saturday, manager Jurgen Klopp told a news conference that he expects Keita to miss around two months of action, effectively ruling him out of the African Cup of Nations which runs from June 21 to July 19 in Egypt.

The Guinea Football Federation however believe Keita’s injury is not as serious as Klopp suggests, describing the Liverpool manager’s assessment of their midfielder’s chances as ‘hasty and pretentious’.

Federation president Antonio Souare has told Football Factory Radio: “First we wish a very good and fast healing to Naby, as far as I know the adductors cannot prevent him from playing the African Cup of Nations 2019 that will be played from 22 June for Guinea.

“The adductors [injury] is two to three weeks of unavailability. The Liverpool coach has to pull himself together, let the doctors do their job.

“Naby Keita belongs to a state before belonging to Liverpool. I remind the Liverpool coach a little bit of the rules if he does not know it.

“So it's hasty and pretentious to make statements like this. What we do know is that Naby Keita will play at the African Cup of Nations 2019.”

Guinea begin their Nations Cup campaign against Madagascar on June 22, and they will also have to see off the challenges of Nigeria and Burundi if they are to make it out of Group B.