Naby Keïta returned to Liverpool by private jet from Naples on Thursday having had tests that confirmed he did not suffer spinal damage in the Champions League defeat by Napoli.
The Liverpool midfielder was found to have sustained a back trauma following an MRI and CAT scan at the Cardarelli Hospital in Naples. The £52.75 million signing was carried off in obvious distress 19 minutes into Wednesday’s 1-0 loss at Stadio San Paolo after a collision with José Callejón and kept in hospital overnight as a precaution.
Keïta had hoped to travel with the Liverpool squad on their scheduled flight on Thursday morning. However, he had to fly separately because of the examinations. The 23-year-old is expected to have a further assessment on Friday to determine whether he can feature in Sunday’s top-of-the-table contest with Manchester City at Anfield.
Liverpool have denied claims that Keïta also underwent heart tests in Naples. The reports, that originated in Italy shortly after the game, claimed the Guinea international was initially assessed for a heart problem. The midfielder collapsed with circulatory issues when playing for RB Leipzig against Wolfsburg in March 2017, but Wednesday’s problem was unconnected.
Dr Ciro Mauro, director of the Cardarelli Hospital’s cardiology unit and co-ordinator of its emergency admissions department, said: “Keïta’s been discharged. He’s got a flight to Liverpool at 2pm. He didn’t have a cardiologic problem, it was a strong back trauma. He had an MRI and CAT scan to rule out any problems to his spine. It is not related to a cardiovascular problem. The player was serene when he left, and the Naples doctors have given him a good bill of health.”
Calmer
Meanwhile, Georginio Wijnaldum has described Liverpool’s defeat and poor performance in Italy as a timely “reality check” before the City game.
“They were calmer than us on the ball, they defended well and stopped us creating chances,” said the midfielder. “It was not a good day for us.
“It’s a good game to learn from. That’s what we’re going to do – we’re going to analyse the game and see what we can do better. This was a reality check on how things must not go. It’s a good lesson for us to get better. We have to take it as a lesson, and then we have to carry on.”
– Guardian
