Klopp gives Liverpool injury update on Keita, Jota and Matip

Jurgen Klopp has delivered an injury update on Naby Keita, Diogo Jota and Joel Matip.

The trio are set to miss Liverpool’s trip to Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Friday night – which is now in doubt – but are edging closer to a return.

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Keita has not been seen since the Reds’ 7-0 win away at Crystal Palace on December 19, due to a “fitness issue”.

“He will be back soon – but not for the Villa game,” Klopp said.

Matip suffered an adductor injury in the 1-1 draw with West Brom last month.

Matip, meanwhile, suffered an adductor injury against West Brom in the 1-1 draw last month and won’t be ready for the match against Dean Smith’s side –  but there’s a possibility he could return before the crunch Manchester United game in the Premier League in just 10 days time.

“Yes – we will try working on that obviously,” Klopp said when asked if Matip would be fit in time to face United in the Reds’ next Premier League fixture.

“Until the United game we still have around nine days, so we try.

“He is in a good way but if it will be United or a few days later, I don’t know.

“After the United game we will obviously play every three days again, so I think that’s pretty sure, but for the United game, we will see.”

And Klopp confirmed that Jota is “still a few weeks away” from team training – having suffered a difficult knee injury against FC Midtjylland at the start of December.

“It will still take time,” the German boss said of Jota’s issue.

“And he is a few weeks away from team training. There is nothing really to say, it takes time. There was no surgery needed, which was good, but it was a proper injury.

“It is not a little knock or something; no, no, and it will still take time. There is no real timeframe there.”