Guinea is not giving up on the chances of their inspirational star, Naby Keita facing Nigeria and others in Group B of the 2019 AFCON holding in Egypt next month.
The Liverpool midfielder has been sidelined since suffering an adductor injury when caught by Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic during the Champions League semi-final at Camp Nou on May 1.
Even the Liverpool coach, Jurgen Klopp has admitted that Keita’s tendon had been ruptured with the player expected to be sidelined for at least two months, ruling him out of the AFCON, which kicks off on June 21.
But the revelation drew the ire of Guinea Football Federation President Antonio Souare, who told Klopp to “pull himself together” and branded the diagnosis “hasty and pretentious”.
According to Liverpool Echo, the Guinea national team coach Paul Put are confident Keita will be available for AFCON and believe he could even be fit for Liverpool’s Champions League final against Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid on June 1.
“He consulted his doctor in Switzerland, as I said at the beginning,” said Put, as reported by Foot 224. “He is in treatment with his doctor.
“He has started on the bike there (in Liverpool) and it is said that he will maybe in two weeks resume with the squad.
“It is even possible that he is in the squad for the Champions League final, if what I have been told is true. We will see.
“We will wait and remain realistic. This is not the time to scream or panic. We have to wait and see how it goes.”
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Guinea begins their AFCON campaign against Madagascar on June 22. They also face Nigeria and Burundi in the group stage.