Klopp lauds Liverpool midfielder Keita ahead of Champions League final vs Real Madrid

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes midfielder Naby Keita is in the best shape of his career.

The 27-year-old Guinea international might be involved on Saturday night as the Reds take on Real Madrid in the Uefa Champions League final at Stade de France.

This season, the RB Leipzig player has featured in 23 Premier League matches for the Merseyside team, scoring three goals and providing an assist in the process. In the Champions League, Keita has featured nine times and scored one goal.

Klopp believes the development of the player had initially been slowed by injuries.

"Naby, you’re right [he has been consistent] how it is for all of us – especially for players more than for me – it’s important that we can train consistently and play consistently," the German tactician said as quoted by the club's website.

"That’s possible when you are not injured and that’s what happened to [Keita] this year. He is in a perfect age, he is more and more experienced.

"After the adaptation from the beginning when [Keita] came here, that’s the normal period when you arrive at Liverpool, or when you arrive in my team, that you usually need time to adapt. In this area especially in midfield, Fabinho needed that time and these kinds of things.

"The problem was, after [Keita] adapted he got injured, or in that time already, and that’s not helpful. Now he is as well in the shape of his life, I would say, played a really good season for us, an incredibly important player. That’s it."

The tactician also commented on Sadio Mane's form, suggesting he has never been this productive.

"Sadio is in the shape of his life, for sure. He is in brilliant shape, it’s a joy to watch him at the moment in training and the game," Klopp continued.

"We ask him a lot; football asks him a lot this year. He had an incredibly long season, a lot of finals, and these kinds of things. That’s for sure so far one of the most successful as well, for him and for us."

The 54-year-old has further rubbished reports linking the Senegal international with a move to Bayern Munich stating he is focused on the Saturday game.

"The Bayern Munich rumours, I couldn’t care less at the moment. We are all fully focused on this game. Sadio is completely focused on the game, he knows exactly how important it is to him and how important it is to us," Klopp concluded.

"So, no concerns, completely normal. It’s not the first time in my career that before decisive games Bayern Munich rumours [are] coming up. I don’t know exactly what I did, that happens. But no problem at all."

The final will be a repeat of 2018 when Los Blancos claimed a 3-1 win.