Tottenham and Liverpool will battle it out for the honour of being crowned European champions at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid on the 1st of June.
Both teams have defied the odds to get to the semi-final by pulling off improbable comebacks in the second leg of their respective fixtures against Ajax and Barcelona.
In addition, the three-week break between the end of the Premier League season and the final has been a blessing for both teams as it has given several key stars time to recover for the game.
Harry Winks and Harry Kane have both returned to first-team training and are hopeful of being fit for the match. Meanwhile, Liverpool will have Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino back available, after both forwards missed the second leg of the semi-final against the Catalan giants.
However, the Reds are likely to be without one key player as manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed to the club’s official website that Naby Keita is questionable to recover from his thigh injury in time for the final.
He said that while Keita is ahead of schedule in his recovery and could be fit for the African Cup of Nations which starts on June 21st, the final comes too soon for the Guinean.
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Keita joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig for an initial £48million fee (Independent).
Klopp said: “Naby is, I would say, a bit ahead of schedule, but that doesn’t mean anything for the final. He is now doing straight runs and all of that stuff, he feels comfortable with 50 per cent intensity and these things – but there is still a way to go.
“I know about the issues with Guinea and stuff like that; we don’t want to keep a player out if he can play – maybe they think it is like this, but it is not like this. For me, it would be good if Naby would be 100 per cent fit and could play the Africa Cup of Nations, to be 100 per cent honest. But we don’t know, we will see, and we need to work together with their medical department because in the end, a player who is fit – from my point of view – who can play, should play for his country.
“If he is not 100 per cent fit, he cannot play. That’s how it is. It is not important whether you play for your country or your club. That’s what we try to make sure. It looks good, very positive and we will see if there is a chance.”
Spurs Web Opinion
While Nabi Keita will be a miss for the Reds, they have more than enough talent to compensate for his loss with the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and James Milner all available for Klopp to chose from.
We believe that Tottenham should line up with both Winks and Sissoko in central midfield, which means Lucas Moura has to, unfortunately, miss out on a starting spot.
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