Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes it is a key year for midfielder Naby Keita.

The central midfielder arrived last summer, but he had an up and down first season at the club.

And Carragher admits that Keita has to show that he has the quality to remain fit and earn a sustained spot in the starting line up.

The no.8 has impressed in flashes, but has not shown the full potential that prompted the Reds to sign him from RB Leipzig.

"I think Liverpool have a world-class goalkeeper and back four, a world-class front three, but I just think that they have a top-class midfield rather than world class," Carragher told reporters.

"Fabinho in that holding position is as good as anyone in the Premier League.

"But what Liverpool have in that position is they have a lot of numbers in terms of players, and what I think the manager will do is just use them all sparingly.

"Trying to get them all at 100 percent rather than playing the same two [alongside Fabinho] every week.

"I think the one before Liverpool look to the transfer market is Naby Keita.

"Liverpool are still waiting for him to take off really, it was a big transfer fee when he came in, he didn't quite hit the ground running, had some good games, some injuries.

"I think the feeling around the club is they've got to give it a good 12 months to really see what Keita can bring to this midfield.

"If he brings what he was supposed to bring, or how he was talked up in Germany before he came, that would add something that was maybe lacking slightly in the midfield.

"But it's very difficult, it's not about anything lacking for Liverpool at the moment when they've won 17 games on the bounce."