Naby Keita ‘tests positive for Covid-19’ with midfielder now the fourth Liverpool star to contract virus… meaning he will miss Merseyside derby next weekend
- Liverpool had already had Thiago, Sadio Mane and Xherdan Shaqiri test positive
- Now Naby Keita is said to have joined Reds players with positive Covid-19 cases
- The club have been boosted with Thiago completing his self-isolation period
- Xherdan Shaqiri played for Switzerland and they hope to have Mane back soon
Naby Keita has become the fourth Liverpool star to contract coronavirus, according to reports.
It could be yet another blow for the Premier League champions who have already had to confirm positive Covid-19 tests for new recruit Thiago Alcantara, star forward Sadio Mane and Switzerland winger Xherdan Shaqiri in the past fortnight.
According to journalist Usher Komugisha, Guinea midfielder Keita has now joined the list of those Red stars to have tested positive for the virus and will now have to self-isolate as a result after contracting Covid-19 during the international break.
Naby Keita has reportedly become the fourth Liverpool player to have contracted coronavirus
The news comes as a massive blow to Jurgen Klopp ahead of Saturday’s Merseyside derby
Should the 25-year-old former RB Leipzig midfielder’s positive test be confirmed, it will result in him having to miss the hotly-anticipated Merseyside derby on Saturday October 17.
A Liverpool spokesperson told Sportsmail the club have declined to make a comment on the matter and are seeking further clarification before making an official statement following Shaqiri’s false positive earlier this week.
Keita’s reported positive test comes amid growing fears across the football globe of the virus spreading further and wider, with a host of players from leagues all over the world currently in the middle of an international break.
The Reds however have been handed a boost with Spaniard Thiago having finished his 10-day period of self-isolation.
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His debut against Chelsea is still his only appearance for the Reds, having missed the club’s 3-1 victory against Arsenal and 7-2 drubbing at Aston Villa due to his enforced absence.
Sadio Mane (left) and Thiago Alcantara (right) have previously tested positive for Covid-19
Xherdan Shaqiri then became the third Liverpool player to return a positive test for Covid-19
The positive result also saw Thiago miss out on Spain’s Nations League fixtures, which began for Luis Enrique’s side with a 1-0 victory against Switzerland on Saturday ahead of a clash against Ukraine.
Shaqiri meanwhile returned a negative result while with his national team after testing positive on Merseyside, and came on as a second-half substitute in their defeat in Madrid.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp will be hopeful of having Mane – who experienced ‘minor symptoms ‘ – join Thiago in returning to the first-team fold for their showdown with league leaders Everton, with both players having missed the horror show at Villa Park.
Liverpool have raised eyebrows with their stuttering performances on the field in the early stages of this season.
The champions had been dumped out of the Carabao Cup on penalties at the hands of Arsenal before they conceded seven at Villa Park.
Liverpool though have been boosted with the news Thiago has completed his self-isolation
Meanwhile Shaqiri gave a negative test on Switzerland duty and played for them against Spain
