Football

Naby Keita named in Guinea AFCON squad despite missing Liverpool's Champions League final


Naby Keita has been included in Guinea’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations – despite missing Liverpool’s Champions League final.

Keita, 24, will miss Saturday night’s European showpiece event against Tottenham with a thigh injury.

He suffered the problem in the first-leg of the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona and was not expected to be fit until the start of next season.

But Guinea believe that he will be ready to play when AFCON gets underway on June 21.

The competition in Egypt was initially thought to be too soon for Keita.

Keita has been named in Guinea’s squad for AFCON

However, they are entitled to call up Keita and their own medical team have given an assessment to say that they believe he has made a sufficient recovery to be named.

Keita is Guinea’s biggest-name star. They take on Burundi, Madagascar and Nigeria in their Group B matches.

Friendlies against The Gambia and Benin on June 7 and June 11 respectively have been organised but Keita is not expected to play in those fixtures.

Liverpool had been in a dispute with the Guinea FA over Keita’s fitness diagnosis shortly after he picked up the injury.

Klopp did not believe Keita would be fit until next season

The president of the Guinea Football Federation, Antonio Souare, hit out at Liverpool for what he believed was the wrong verdict on his injury.

Souare said earlier this month: “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.

“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.”

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