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Naby Keita’s limited appearances for new side Werder Bremen since signing over the summer could be part due to his attitude off the pitch, according to reports in Germany.
The former Liverpool star moved back to the Bundesliga after his contract at Anfield expired, after previously featuring for RB Leipzig between 2016 and 2018.
But since joining the 14th-placed German outfit, Keita’s spell has been plagued with injuries similar to those that plagued his five-year stint at Anfield.
Keita was unavailable until late September, and made his first start at the beginning of October against TSG Hoffenheim – only to pick up a muscle injury which kept him out for the next four times.
Naby Keita has started just once for his new club and has failed to come off the bench in their last three matches
Keita left Liverpool after a five-year stint plagued by injuries which saw him miss 95 matches
The midfielder has since failed to return to the side after recovering, with manager Ole Werner opting to leave Keita on the bench since his return at the start of the month.
But as per German outlet DeichStube, Keita has reportedly not yet gained the trust of the club’s hierarchy due to his behaviour and punctuality.
Keita is thought to have turned up late to meetings on a number of occasions, and has also opted out of attending several sponsorship events.
This in turn may have effected Werner’s perspective on the player, and his apparent unwillingness to feature Keita despite his apparent return to fitness.
Werner is also thought to have sidelined the player in preparation for his looming departure for next year’s AFCON, where the Guinea international is set to link up with his national team.
With an eye on his player’s departure, Werner has lately brought on midfielders including Senne Lynen and Justin Njinmah in clashes against Augsburg and Borussia Monchengladbach, who the coach is thought to be readying for January and Keita’s absence.
The club’s director of professional football Clemens Fritz however stressed that ensuring the player was fully fit had been at the fore of Werder’s thinking.
‘For us in the last few weeks, the absolute priority was to get him fit and bring him to a good level,’ Fritz argued. ‘That was successful’.
He also added that Keita could yet feature in his upcoming derby on Tuesday evening.
‘Naby is stable and certainly a candidate for action against Leipzig,’ Fritz continued. ‘But the coach will decide for how long.
Head coach Ole Werner (right) has found himself relying on different midfielders off the bench in preparation for Keita’s departure for AFCON
But director of professional football Clemens Fritz said that Keita was ‘stable’ for facing Leipzig
‘In training you can definitely see that he is getting better and better’.
Keita’s propensity for persistent injury – which saw him 95 matches during his tenure at Anfield – may have seen him return from October’s setback somewhat inhibited, with reports that the player hasn’t been playing competitively with full confidence, perhaps out of fear of a set back.
Should Keita feature on Tuesday, the player will have the opportunity to help his side build on a two-match unbeaten run before the winter break after a torrid November without a win.
Tuesday’s home tie against Leipzig will be the last the club plays until their January 14 meeting with VfL Bochum next year.
