Jurgen Klopp has been told to "pull himself together" after revealing that Naby Keita's injury is set to sideline the Liverpool midfielder for around two months.
In a strong response to news that Keita would be out for the next eight weeks, Guinea Football Federation president Antonio Souare also branded the diagnosis "hasty and pretentious".
Keita was forced off before the half-hour mark of the Reds' 3-0 defeat to Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday night.
A scan has since revealed that the all-action midfielder has ruptured an adductor muscle , meaning he is expected to miss Guinea's campaign at the African Cup of Nations next month.
The AFCON tournament, which is hosted by Mohamed Salah's Egypt, runs from June 21 through to July 19, leaving Keita's hopes of starring for his nation looking highly unlikely as he begins his rehabilitation.
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However, the FGF president has panned Klopp's comments, claiming the Liverpool midfielder will only miss a couple of weeks with the problem, refusing to accept the timescale placed on the setback by the Reds boss.
Souare feels Keita still has a chance to make his mark at AFCON 2019 despite the groin problem, and demanded Klopp "let the doctors do their job".
Souare is quoted as telling Football Factory Radio: "First we wish a very good and fast healing to Naby, as far as I know the adductors cannot prevent him from playing the African Cup of Nations 2019 that will be played from 22 June for Guinea.
"The adductors [injury] is two to three weeks of unavailability. The Liverpool coach has to pull himself together, let the doctors do their job.
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"Naby Keita belongs to a state before belonging to Liverpool. I remind the Liverpool coach a little bit of the rules if he does not know it.
"So it's hasty and pretentious to make statements like this. What we do know is that Naby Keita will play at the African Cup of Nations 2019."
Guinea play Egypt in a friendly on June 16 before their AFCON campaign gets underway against Madagascar six days later.
Klopp delivered the most recent update on Keita's condition in his Friday press conference, confirming that the former RB Leipzig star's debut season at Anfield is over.
“It was really unlucky. It's bad news,” Klopp confirmed.
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“He has a high grade adductor injury. The tendon is ruptured. It will keep him out for at least two months. It's bad news for us and for Guinea as well because the Africa Cup of Nations is coming up.
“He was in a really, really good moment but it's happened. That's how football and life sometimes are. Not too nice. It's very serious.
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“On the one side he won't be involved be involved in an interesting part of the season and on the other hand side Guinea aren't a regular starter in the Africa Cup of Nations and that was for sure a big target for him.
“Of course he's not in a good moment but that's when you have to help the players. We will try everything we can.”
