Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate limped out of Liverpool’s midweek victory over Real Madrid and Paul Joyce has dropped a new injury update regarding the Frenchman.
The 25-year-old has been enjoying an outstanding season for the Reds, standing out as one of their best players in a superb campaign to date under Arne Slot.
Konate and Virgil van Dijk staying fit is going to be so important to Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes, and a huge game awaits at home to Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.
Unfortunately, Reds supporters have been left sweating over the defender’s availability at Anfield after he suffered a knee issue in the dying seconds of the 2-0 win at home to Madrid on Wednesday evening.
According to the reliable Joyce of The Times [via This Is Anfield], there is “unease” about Konate’s injury, but he isn’t out of Sunday’s match.
Meanwhile, The Daily Mail‘s Lewis Steele has reported that it is “believed the Frenchman is hopeful he has avoided any serious damage.”
Our thoughts on Konate’s injury latest…
This has to be considered a positive update overall, even though Konate is far from guaranteed to be passed fit for the game. Avoiding serious injury is a major relief.
Having the France international available would be a massive boost, though, rather than Slot having to draft in either Joe Gomez or Jarell Quansah.
That’s nothing against the pair, who are good centre-backs in their own right, but Konate has been one of Europe’s leading defenders this season, with Van Dijk saying of him:
“I think we need everyone to be at their best. He is a fantastic player who still can be better. As you saw, he is important with the goal, he is defensively solid, a bit unlucky with the goal we conceded, but obviously the qualities he has are outstanding in my opinion.”
Additionally, Conor Bradley could be missing for approximately a month after suffering a hamstring injury against Madrid in midweek, but Trent Alexander-Arnold is available to start, meaning he could go straight back into the side after an absence of his own in recent weeks.
Having the 26-year-old back in the fold is massive, for all Bradley’s excellence of late, and he can have a huge influence when City make the trip to Liverpool.
