Liverpool have Rafa Benitez and a collection of pebbles to thank for Javier Mascherano signing for the club in 2007, in what proved a “great decision” for the midfielder.

The Argentine signed for the Reds in 2007, initially on loan, after only six months with West Ham, a move that helped transform Liverpool’s midfield.

Mascherano only played at Anfield for three seasons, but the tenacious midfielder made a significant impact as a world-class talent who formed part of the ‘best midfield in the world’.

In the end, he featured 139 times for the club, a tally made possible thanks to Benitez and his convincing argument that was accompanied by props!

In an interview with Movistar Deportes Peru, Mascherano explained: “When I realised that I wasn’t playing [for West Ham], my idea was to leave in the winter market.

“I don’t know how Rafa Benitez found out that I was going to leave but he contacted me.

“One day he came to my apartment in London to convince me to sign for Liverpool, because I was already thinking about leaving England, he stopped me.

“In the talk we had, I remember that we were sitting on a sofa and there was a table with pebbles, he began to explain to me with the pebbles where I had to play.

“He was clear and he told me what I could give to the team, what none of those already in the squad could.

“I thought about it for a week and finally the transfer was finalised. Luckily I made a great decision because four months later we were playing in a Champions League final with Milan in Athens.”

Mascherano came close to lifting the European Cup with Liverpool in 2007, but, sadly, his Liverpool career would end without an honour.

Now 39, Mascherano is nearly four years into his retirement and is the current manager of Argentina’s U23s side, who are preparing for the Olympics this summer.

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Liverpool had one fixture subject to change dependent on whether Arsenal progressed to the next round of the Champions League, but their quarter-final exit has locked in the Reds’ run-in.

The Reds have only six games remaining in their Premier League season and sit two points behind leaders Man City and below the Gunners on goal difference.

There is still time for twists and turns, but at least Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool supporters can now cement their fixture plans following Arsenal‘s 3-2 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich.

Up until the Gunners’ exit from the competition, there was a possibility that Liverpool’s trip to West Ham on April 27 would need to be rearranged from Saturday to Sunday.

Had Arsenal progressed and asked to play their semi-final first leg on Tuesday, April 30, the Reds would have seen their trip to the London Stadium kick off at 2pm on Sunday, April 28.

But thanks to Joshua Kimmich’s goal at the Allianz Arena, which inflicted a 1-0 defeat on Mikel Arteta’s side, it is another 12.30pm start for Liverpool against West Ham.

It means Liverpool can plan accordingly and supporters do not have to change travel plans with close to only a week’s notice – however, it does leave a small turnaround between away games.

Klopp will take his side to Goodison Park on Wednesday, April 24, for an evening kickoff, and just under 65 hours after the final whistle they will be kicking off against the Hammers.

Klopp may have preferred the West Ham fixture being rescheduled, but at least the final six league games are now set in stone – and that includes four away matches and only two at Anfield.

There is still a title to fight, for but Liverpool will need to rediscover their form if they are to take it to the final day after taking only four points from the last three league fixtures.

Liverpool’s final 6 league games

• Fulham (A) – Sat, April 21, 4.30pm
• Everton (A) – Wed, April 24, 8pm
• West Ham (A) – Sat, April 27, 12.30pm
• Tottenham (H) – Sat, May 5, 4.30pm
• Aston Villa (A) – Mon, May 13, 8pm
• Wolves (H) – Sun, May 19, 4pm

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Alisson has admitted his two-month absence from the Liverpool team was “really hard” for him, but he’s ready to be “part of the fight” to improve and finish the season strongly.

A serious hamstring injury in mid-February forced the Brazilian to miss 13 games, his longest stretch out of the team since 2019.

Alisson has admitted he is not a great spectator and that his time in the treatment room was not the easiest for him.

The 31-year-old old told the press of his spell out of the side: “It was really hard for me.

“I am a guy that when I am at home, injured or resting, I don’t like to watch football because I get too excited and I want to play, I want to be part of every game.

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“But I knew that it wasn’t possible for me so I tried to make the best of my treatment and recovery, I spent a lot of time on a bed getting treatment and in the gym to get strong for when I came back, to be in a good shape – maybe better than I was before.

“It was eight weeks working double sessions every day, maybe three sessions, so it was really hard for me.

“And seeing the team fighting for titles, I have a lot of desire to be part of that fight. Thank God I am here and I am looking forward to the rest of the season.”

The Brazilian returned to the starting lineup in the defeat to Crystal Palace and at a time when Liverpool are faltering, but he kept it simple when asked about getting back to winning ways.

“[We have had] two bad results, [but] I think we cannot make the mistake of making these bigger than it is,” Alisson said.

“Of course losing 3-0 at home is something that we cannot accept as Liverpool players. We have to improve our performances, of course.

“But if I would be more precise on the things we have to do better, it is we have to go back to keeping clean sheets and try to score the chances that we have, the clear chances that we have in front of the goal.

“I am saying that because I trust my strikers a lot, I trust my defenders a lot and I know the quality that we have as a team.

“So if we do that as a team, defend as a team, attack as a team, improving these kind of things then I think we can go back to winning games.”

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Jurgen Klopp was peppered with questions about another 3-0 comeback that was required in European competition, and his sentiment remained the same nearly five years later.

Liverpool know the score and the task ahead of them at Atalanta on Thursday, and it is not as though they are heading into the clash bursting with any confidence.

But while the media were eager to draw comparisons to a similar task that was required against Barcelona, Klopp was very resistant to disclosing how he will approach his team talk.

He did, however, refer back to his famous quote from the eve of that match in 2019, which went like this: “If we can do it, wonderful. If we can’t do it, let’s fail in the most beautiful way.”

And that message remains true ahead of what could be his final European game at Liverpool.

On his team talk, Klopp said: “I usually don’t prepare these things, especially not a day before or four years before – what I will say to the boys I will think about tomorrow.

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“But definitely nothing about these things were in the press conference before, but I remember that I said, ‘if we fail, let’s fail in the most beautiful way’, and that’s exactly how I see it again.

“I said it already, we want to win the game. But if we want to win, we better play good, and if you play good we have a chance to win it. Then we will see.

“Directly after the game [last week] everyone in the stadium at Liverpool, supporters, Atalanta, and our staff thought that’s it, but since then I don’t think everybody thinks it’s already decided.

“We are here and we can be good, let’s see what we can put on the pitch tomorrow, but my team meeting will not happen in front of the world in the press conference.

“If we win, the players will find a reason to tell the world what I said, and if we lose, no one will want to hear what I said.”

Let’s hope we get the former!

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Conor Bradley has missed out on the trip to Atalanta after an injury last time out, but Jurgen Klopp has offered an update on his return timeline.

The 20-year-old sustained an ankle injury early in the second half against Crystal Palace, needing assistance from the pitch as he made his way down the tunnel.

Bradley has been a consistent figure in the backline in the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold, but the two have swapped places with the Northern Irishman now in the treatment room.

But Klopp’s update was a somewhat positive one, he told reporters on Wednesday: “First week of May he should be back in training.

“He overstretched the ligaments a bit. Not serious, serious, but serious enough that he is not here.”

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In his absence, Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez are in contention to start at right-back, but it remains to be seen if the vice-captain is ready to be in the XI after one appearance off the bench.

The two are part of the Reds’ 24-man travelling squad, which has no other notable absentees, with Klopp confirming that “all the others [in the team] are fine.”

Alisson also fronted the press on Wednesday evening and will be in the starting lineup for the second game in succession, but he knows the task of overturning last week’s 3-0 defeat will not be easy.

He said: “Of course we have to believe in ourselves, but in my opinion, it’s a really difficult situation, how they played at our home showed how tough it will be.

“We come here with the goal to improve our performance and try to play better as a team, that is a thing we didn’t do in the last match.”

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With their Europa League hopes hanging by a thread, Liverpool know they have to produce their latest European miracle to progress past Atalanta.

Atalanta vs. Liverpool

Europa League quarter-final second leg | Gewiss Stadium
April 18, 2024 | 8pm (BST)

The Reds head to Italy for Thursday night’s game looking to do something special following last week’s insipid 3-0 loss at Anfield.

This season is threatening to peter out, both in Europe and the Premier League, but this side have shown they can overcome adversity in the past.

Here’s all you need to know ahead of the action.

1. Can Liverpool produce another miracle?

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Granted, progressing past Atalanta wouldn’t be on the same level as the Champions League triumph against Barcelona in 2019, but it would still be memorable.

Very few saw Liverpool’s lifeless performance coming last Thursday, but they are still the superior team and have to believe they can produce a stunning comeback.

An early goal for the Reds would immediately make Atalanta twitchy although, on the flip side, yet another opener conceded by Liverpool would effectively end the tie.

We can all dream!

2. Atalanta slipped up on Monday!

Liverpool need as much encouragement as they can get and Atalanta may have offered them hope in recent days.

On Monday night, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side blew a 2-0 lead at home to Verona in Serie A, conceding twice in four minutes, dropping key points in the top-four battle.

The hope is that Atalanta’s legs are weary, having played 24 hours later than Liverpool, allowing Klopp’s side to take advantage.

3. Who’s out injured for Liverpool?

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Liverpool appear to be allergic to suffering no new injury problems and that has again proved to be the case in recent days.

Conor Bradley is out of Thursday’s game with an ankle injury. The Northern Irishman is expected to be out for the next three weeks.

It is now a case of getting returning key players back into peak form, including Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota.

Joel Matip, Thiago and Ben Doak are all still out and may not feature again this season.

4. How will Liverpool start?

Klopp will have one eye on Sunday’s trip to Fulham in the league, so changes are to be expected from the Crystal Palace game.

Some players are arguably worthy of being axed, in truth.

Ibrahima Konate was poor on Sunday and could be replaced by Jarell Quansah, especially if Klopp wants to save the Frenchman for Fulham.

Wataru Endo and Alexis Mac Allister need a breather in midfield, with Harvey Elliott and Ryan Gravenberch options to potentially come in.

Cody Gakpo has been a rare positive over the past two matches and has surely done enough to start, potentially coming in for Darwin Nunez.

Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson; Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Elliott, Szoboszlai; Salah, Jota, Diaz

5. Will Atalanta be unchanged?

Perhaps surprisingly, Gasperini named an unchanged starting lineup against Verona, asking his players to go again.

Now, it will be intriguing to see how Atalanta line up against Liverpool, with three successive unchanged sides in a week a big risk.

The Serie A outfit admittedly don’t have the Reds’ depth, however, so it can’t be ruled out. There are no fresh injury problems for Atalanta, which is an enviable position to be in.

6. Under 1,000 away fans in Italy

Liverpool will be roared on by their travelling fans in Italy, but there will be a minimal amount of supporters present which is a shame.

In fact, under 1,000 away fans will be present at the Gewiss Stadium, with just 750 expected in total.

That’s due to two factors.

Firstly, the size of Atalanta’s ground, which has a capacity of only 21,000 but is limited to 16,000 currently because of work being done on the stadium.

The other issue is that Liverpool take a number of tickets for family, staff and sponsors, further limiting the amount.

7. Liverpool’s poor record of second-leg away comebacks

Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat has given them a massive amount of work to do as they look to overcome the first-leg deficit, and the past doesn’t bode well for the Reds.

They have lost four first-leg ties at Anfield in European competition, to Leeds (1971), Chelsea (2009), Real Madrid (2023) and Atalanta last week, and progressed to the next round from none of them.

Liverpool have lost both legs of a knockout tie just eight times – Ferencvaros (1967), Red Star Belgrade (1973), Genoa (1992), Spartak Moscow (1992), Celta Vigo (1998), Benfica (2006), Atletico Madrid (2020) and Real Madrid (2023).

8. Did You Know?

Nunez has faced some criticism lately, much of which has been fair, but he could still be a pivotal figure for the Reds on Thursday.

The 24-year-old can join some illustrious company from Liverpool history, should he find the net against Atalanta.

Nunez has scored nine goals in 17 European appearances for Liverpool – the fastest to 10 for the club are Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane (both 13), Robbie Fowler (16) and Roger Hunt (18).

Nunez has netted five times for the Reds in the Europa League this season – more than anyone else.

9. Francois Letexier is the referee

Francois Letexier has been confirmed as the referee for Liverpool’s trip to Atalanta.

The Frenchman has only taken charge of one Reds game in the past, overseeing the 1-1 draw away to Midtjylland back in the 2020/21 season.

Letexier only showed one yellow card to a Liverpool player, booking Caoimhin Kelleher, as Salah’s opener was cancelled out.

Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni are Letexier’s assistants. Pierre Gaillouste is the fourth official while Jerome Brisard and Willy Delajod are on VAR.

10. Follow the match with TIA

Atalanta vs. Liverpool is live on TNT Sports 1 from 7pm (BST) on Thursday, with kickoff at 8pm.

Sam Millne is in the chair for TIA’s matchday live blog, hoping to guide you through Liverpool’s latest European epic.

Come on you Reds!

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Liverpool have named the 24 players flying to Italy for the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie against Atalanta, with only one expected omission.

Conor Bradley is the only notable player missing from the Reds’ travelling squad after the ankle injury sustained against Crystal Palace, which is expected to keep him sidelined for up to three weeks.

The 20-year-old joins Ben Doak, Thiago and Joel Matip on the sidelines and will watch on from Merseyside as Liverpool aim to overcome a three-goal deficit in Bergamo.

Klopp has no shortage of options when it comes to his attack, with Diogo Jota training as normal alongside Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz.

Jayden Danns is also on the plane having missed out on the matchday squad for the first leg – he last featured at Nottingham Forest at the start of March.

It would not be surprising to see Klopp try and squeeze four forwards into his starting lineup on Thursday, but just how much of his hand he shows off from the start remains to be seen.

The manager’s boost in options, thanks to the return of Jota and Trent Alexander-Arnold, does make his XI harder to predict, though one can expect Alisson to start between the sticks.

The Brazilian has featured only once in this competition but now that he is back from injury, Caoimhin Kelleher will step aside.

There are big decisions to make across all departments and it is up to Klopp to find the one that gives Liverpool the best chance at overturning the three-goal deficit.

From the 26-man squad that trained at the AXA earlier on Wednesday, only Stefan Bajcetic and Fabian Mrozek failed to travel with the team.

Liverpool’s travelling squad to Atalanta

Goalkeepers: Alisson, Kelleher, Adrian

Defenders: Van Dijk, Konate, Gomez, Quansah, Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Tsimikas

Midfielders: Mac Allister, Endo, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Elliott, Jones, McConnell, Clark

Forwards: Jota, Salah, Nunez, Diaz, Gakpo, Danns

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England youth international and Liverpool right-back Isaac Mabaya has suffered yet another injury, but under-21 manager Barry Lewtas believes he can bounce back.

Last Friday, Mabaya came on at Old Trafford as Liverpool U21s beat Man United 3-0, for just his fifth appearance in 18 months.

He lasted just a few minutes, though, before being forced off with a suspected hamstring problem. His frustration was visible as he kicked the advertising hoardings and held his head in his hands.

As he walked around the edge of the pitch, even the applause from Liverpool’s travelling supporters and his teammates’ words of support couldn’t cheer him up.

“Isaac’s sadly on that list of players who’ve missed a lot of football,” under-21 boss Barry Lewtas told This Is Anfield.

“He is a fantastic character. He’s a strong boy, we’ve had these moments before with players who’ve come through the other side, we’ll just keeping working hard.”

It was the only negative on a night that saw the young Reds overwhelm Man United with superior quality.

Lewtas admitted: “That probably does take the gloss off it. You could see when he went down, how many players ran over to him.

“He’s a popular kid, he’s a great lad. I’m sure he’ll be OK.”

Mabaya’s name first came on the radar for fans when he featured for Liverpool in the pre-season of 2022. His time since, though, has largely been spent on the sidelines.

The youngster signed is first professional contract with the club in 2021 and, thankfully, Liverpool haven’t lost confidence in the 19-year-old – he signed a new long-term contract in May 2023.

Later that year, he earned a call-up for the Zimbabwe senior side, but hasn’t featured for the nation yet. He previously played for England from under-15 to under-19 level.

He is one of several right-backs in the academy who are eyeing a future spot in the first-team squad.

Conor Bradley and Trent Alexander-Arnold have both shown it is possible to come through the ranks in that position, but the subsequent academy graduates now face even greater competition due to their success.

It isn’t yet clear how long Mabaya will be kept out for with this latest problem but, at 19-years-old, time is still on his side.

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With Liverpool needing to overturn last week’s 3-0 defeat to Atalanta, Jurgen Klopp may need to make changes with his team in poor form.

The match in Bergamo will require a balancing act from Klopp. Liverpool need attacking intent from the off if they are to score enough goals, but they can ill afford to to concede first again.

We know Conor Bradley isn’t available due to the ankle injury he sustained against Crystal Palace, but Trent Alexander-Arnold could be able to make his first start since February 10.

Among those that trained on Wednesday ahead of the match were Jayden Danns, Bobby Clark, James McConnell and Stefan Bajcetic, who are all available for selection.

Here’s how Liverpool could line up.

Liverpool’s XI vs. Atalanta

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The manager has a a big decision to make in attack.

Neither Mo Salah nor Darwin Nunez have been in good form of late, and Cody Gakpo will think himself worthy of a start given his recent strong performances from the bench.

Diogo Jota is also in the mix to play and Liverpool could throw caution to the wind by starting the No. 20.

Like Gakpo, Harvey Elliott has been helping to push Liverpool on in the latter stages of games, and could well start this game with Wataru Endo out of form.

Here are the likely calls that Klopp makes:

• Ibrahima Konate keeps his place despite a poor showing vs. Crystal Palace
• Nunez is dropped to the bench having scored one goal in his last six games
• Elliott is rewarded for good performances as a substitute, with Endo rested

This is how Liverpool would line up:

Alisson; Gomez; Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Elliott; Salah, Jota, Diaz

While plenty of supporters are calling for changes, particularly in the midfield and forward line, Klopp could stick to his guns and give his go-to men a last chance to prove themselves.

With Andy Robertson excelling in the last couple of matches down the left, and Bradley out injured, the manager may choose to throw Alexander-Arnold straight back in as part of an extremely attacking outfit.

We know that, over the last year, Klopp has liked the balance of having one wide full-back and one inverted full-back, a role Alexander-Arnold is by far the best at playing in the squad.

Here’s how this alternate team would look:

Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson; Endo, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Nunez, Diaz

While supporters are expecting Liverpool to fly out of the blocks, it would be advisable for the Reds to take caution – one wrong move and the tie is over.

Restraint would be required from the Reds if they were to score an early goal – they can’t show naivety if they are to successfully come from behind.

If they get to 40 minutes and it is still 0-0, they need to keep their cool and patience. Remember, anything is possible.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold says he owes everything to Jurgen Klopp and believes the Liverpool manager’s impending departure could feed into the title-race drama.

Reigning champions Manchester City sit top of the Premier League pile with six matches remaining after second-placed Arsenal and the third-spotted Reds suffered shock defeats on Sunday.

Liverpool’s 1-0 home loss to Crystal Palace compounded Thursday’s 3-0 Europa League quarter-final defeat at the hands of Atalanta in what could prove Klopp’s final European night at Anfield.

Alexander-Arnold made his return from two months out with a knee injury in the Eagles encounter and expects more “twists and turns” as the popular German’s final season in charge comes to an end.

“I think experience is a massive part of it,” the Liverpool academy product told The Overlap podcast.

“Obviously the other two teams will have experience from last season. They had their own title race within themselves.”

Asked if Klopp leaving and the emotion around gives Liverpool an edge in the run-in, Alexander-Arnold said: “I think he will feed into that, the further it goes.

“Let’s say we get into May, the start of May, and it’s still that tight, then he’ll start to feed into how it’s going to look, how it could feel. Up until then, we just need to try and stay (composed).

“He never says, ‘We’re trying to win the league, we’re going to win the league’.

“He doesn’t really speak about it. It’s more, ‘We’re going to get the most out of ourselves, we’re going to squeeze every drop of potential’.

“There will be twists and turns, no matter what.”

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Liverpool are hoping for an almighty change in fortunes at Atalanta on Thursday, when the second leg could see Alexander-Arnold make his first start since February 10.

Every one of his appearances for his boyhood club have come under Klopp, to whom the homegrown star is eternally grateful.

“Incredible, really,” Alexander-Arnold said. “I owe everything to him, really, as a player.

“I was thinking about this recently. The only thing you can ever ask for as a young player is opportunity.

“All you can do is hope that when you get to 18, 19, you’ve got a manager that’s willing to give you a chance and I was fortunate enough to have that.

“Not only that, he put his arm round me and guided me through it, through the ups and downs, the winning of stuff, losing things.

“Good games, bad games, because your first bad game you think you’re never going to kick a ball again. You think, ‘I’m done’.”

Alexander-Arnold is expecting it to feel “weird” returning to pre-season without Klopp, although he likes the idea of a “new challenge” under an as yet undetermined new boss.

The 25-year-old will likely return late to Liverpool given England are among the favourites for Euro 2024, at which Gareth Southgate has a midfield role in mind for him.

Asked whether he sees himself as a midfielder or a right-back, Alexander-Arnold said: “I’d probably say I still see myself as a right-back.

“I see myself as someone who can probably play in both positions if needed.

“But I think my focus, until I’m told otherwise by the gaffer, is that I’m still a right-back.

“I come inside and I play inside when we have the got ball, but essentially, when you write the team-sheet, I am a right-back.”

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Liverpool had 26 players training ahead of their trip to Atalanta in the Europa League, on which they need to overturn a three-goal deficit.

Ahead of Liverpool’s Europa League quarter-final second leg against Atalanta, the squad trained in Kirkby before flying out to Italy for Thursday night’s match in Bergamo.

Dry conditions greeted the team for training as 26 players took part, with Jurgen Klopp keeping a watchful eye over proceedings.

In front of the cameras, the squad warmed up in lines before moving on to some light passing practice. As usual, once the cameras were out of sight, the real session could began.

Klopp has a selection conundrum against Atalanta with several of his go-to names out of form, meaning he could reward the likes of Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott for their strong performances from the bench of late.

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The notable names included in the first team squad for training were Jayden Danns, James McConnell and Bobby Clark, all of whom have impressed when called upon this season.

Having played half an hour in Liverpool U21s’ 3-0 win at Old Trafford last Friday, and featured on the bench for the first team the previous night, Stefan Bajcetic was also in training.

His first senior appearance since September is unlikely to come against Atalanta, though, despite Klopp being short in the defensive midfield area.

Conor Bradley was the notable absentee, as expected, with the right-back now sidelined for “up to three weeks,” report Sky Sports.

Thankfully, an initial scan revealed his ankle injury was not as bad as feared.

Ben Doak, Joel Matip and Thiago all remain out with long-term injuries.

Liverpool squad in training on Wednesday

Goalkeepers: Alisson, Kelleher, Adrian, Mrozek

Defenders: Van Dijk, Konate, Gomez, Quansah, Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Tsimikas

Midfielders: Mac Allister, Endo, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Elliott, Jones, Bajcetic, McConnell, Clark

Forwards: Jota, Salah, Nunez, Diaz, Gakpo, Danns

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Werder Bremen have suspended Naby Keita for the rest of the season and imposed a “substantial” fine after accusing him of walking out of Sunday’s Bundesliga clash with Bayer Leverkusen.

The 29-year-old former Liverpool midfielder did not feature in a 5-0 defeat at the Bay Arena, with his club claiming he had chosen “not to travel to the ground with the team and decided to go home instead” after discovering he was not in the starting line-up.

A statement on the club’s official website said: “Werder Bremen have suspended Naby Keita until the end of the season. The club have also handed the midfielder a substantial fine.”

Guinea international Keita, the statement added, “will no longer train with the team or be part of the first-team dressing room.”

READ HERE: Naby Keita ‘storms out’ of new club – ex-Liverpool midfielder rejects claims

Bremen’s head of professional football Clemens Fritz said: “As a club, we won’t tolerate Naby’s behaviour.

“He let his team down in a time of difficulty surrounding our recent run of form and squad availability and put his own interests above those of the team. We can’t allow that.

“At this stage of the season, we need full focus on the remaining games and a team who stick together. That’s why we’ve been left with no alternative.”

Leverkusen’s win clinched them the title and left Bremen sitting in 12th place, just five points clear of the bottom three with as many games remaining.

Keita, who had a spell in Germany with RB Leipzig earlier in his career, joined the club as a free agent on a three-year deal last summer following the expiry of his contract at Anfield.

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