Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp offers mixed update on Fabinho and Naby Keita injuries ahead of Brighton clash

Liverpool midfielder Fabinho has been ruled out of his side’s match against Brighton on Saturday but manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed Naby Keita is set to be available after making a “surprising” recovery from being carried off at Old Trafford last weekend.

Fabinho continues to be sidelined with a “complicated” knee problem that ruled him out of the historic 5-0 win at Manchester United, a match in which Keita scored the opener before his afternoon was ended following a late challenge from Paul Pogba.

The United midfielder was sent off for the tackle but Keita has been “lucky” in escaping serious injury and is set to return to the team for the visit of Brighton after missing Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Preston in the Carabao Cup.

“Naby Keita looks good,” Klopp said at a news conference on Friday. “We were all surprised, but he was obviously lucky so I think he will be ready.

“With Fabinho it doesn’t look that good, it’s a bit more complicated. Not too complicated, but complicated enough to keep him out now again, probably.

“I still wait for the latest news, but he was not in team training yet and that is never a good sign.”

In a further update, Klopp said Thiago remains out but is nearing a return following a calf strain. The Spaniard has been sidelined since the 3-0 win over Crystal Palace in mid-September.

“Thiago was in team training for the first time yesterday,” Klopp said. “We did a session where he could be part of pretty much the whole session, [but] that doesn’t mean he is ready to play a football game, unfortunately.

“We will see what we do with him, but he is closer than he was last week, much closer. Now we have to see what we do with that.”

Liverpool sit second in the Premier League and will look to continue their unbeaten start to the season at home to Graham Potter’s side, who were one of six teams to record a victory at Anfield last season.

The Seagulls are fifth in the standings after making an impressive start to the campaign but are winless in four following their 3-1 home defeat by Manchester City last weekend.

“Tomorrow is one of trickiest games in the Premier League because of the work Graham is doing at Brighton and the way they play,” Klopp added. “There is no game you can take a little bit easy, you always have to be at your absolute best.

“Brighton play football, a real threat, try to create and defend well. They have not scored a lot but don’t concede a lot. I saw the second half [against City] as well and they were incredible, to keep the ball and pass like they did against City is a really hard thing to do.

“We lost the last game here against Brighton, so that is another warning, but the big difference is Anfield will be packed to help.”

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