Guinea international Naby Keita is the latest Liverpool player to return a positive coronavirus test, as the pandemic continues to be a pain in the ass,
The Reds midfielder picked up the virus while on international duty and is the third player from the squad to test positive in quick succession.
Keita’s positive test follows on from Thiago Alcantara and Sadio Mane, who both picked up the virus.
On top of the tests, Liverpool are also without goalkeeper Alisson through an injury which he picked up on the training ground.
It creates a selection headache for manager Jurgen Klopp for the first game back after the international break, where they take on Merseyside rivals and current Premier League leaders Everton.
The 21-year-old became the Bundesliga’s highest scorer by that age before he left Bayer Leverkusen
Keita has been a key cog to the Liverpool side this season, featuring in every single Premier League fixture so far.
But now he will self-isolate before he is allowed to return to action – meaning Klopp will have to rotate his midfield.
Changes were likely to come regardless, following the 7-2 loss to Aston Villa last weekend, but Klopp will have been desperate for a full quota of players to pick from.
The good news is that both Thiago and Mane are expected to be back in action following their quarantine periods.
Their involvement will depend on a negative test from the latest round of Premier League testing, before action resumes next weekend.
Gradually opening of lockdown occasioned by the pandemic has been hailed across the globe but the virus still continues to put full participation of fans on hold.
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Some health experts insists that the pandemic is not ready to leave in a jiffy and may indeed remain a factor even into the new year, a prediction that may further disrupt sporting calendar and slow down activities of hitherto major events like the Olympics tentatively slated for next year in Tokyo, Japan.
