The Guinea international has struggled to cement his place in Jurgen Klopp’s line-up in three years at Anfield so far.
Liverpool legend John Barnes is aware that Naby Keita “can’t go anywhere until January” but is doubtful about his long-term future at the club.
Lack of consistency and non-availability has been constant stumbling blocks for Keita throughout his time at Liverpool.
The midfielder managed mere 10 appearances in the previous Premier League campaign and just 16 across all competitions, with a variety of fitness issues forcing him to stay away from the pitch.
He appears to have put his problems in the past this season, though, as the former RB Leipzig man was in the starting XI for the Reds’ opening two league outings as well as the Champions League clash with AC Milan while made a brief cameo in the win over Leeds United.
“Naby Keita hasn’t played many games at Liverpool since he joined but he’s been cursed with injuries,” Barnes told Bonus Code Bets.
“He has a future at the club, but I don’t know whether it’s going to be long term.
“Players don’t think long term, they think about whether they can get into the team this season, and obviously, he might think that he’s down the pecking order but he’s at the club, and he can’t go anywhere until January.
“Whether he has a long-term future at the club is up to him. He has a contract, and if he’s happy not to be playing every week, that’s his choice.
“It’s the same for every player, if they’re not playing, they’re unhappy so therefore they want to go to play more regularly, but we’ve seen players that stay at a club for four or five years without playing regularly so maybe Nabi Keita is one of them.
“But if you pick your best Liverpool team Nabi Keita wouldn’t be in it.”
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