Liverpool have suffered another injury setback ahead of their Premier League clash with Manchester United next weekend.
Alisson Becker and Giovanni Leoni have already been ruled out — the goalkeeper is recovering from a hamstring injury, while the young defender faces a long spell on the sidelines after tearing his ACL last month. Adding to the list, Ibrahima Konaté was forced off in last weekend’s defeat to Chelsea after feeling pain in his quad, and the issue has persisted during his time with the France national team.
Konaté pulls out of France squad amid fitness concerns
On Saturday, the French Football Federation confirmed that the Liverpool defender has been released from international duty, with Benjamin Pavard called up as his replacement. The statement explained that Konaté had been following a specific treatment plan since arriving at Clairefontaine on Monday but would be unable to play in Monday’s World Cup qualifier against Iceland.
Following discussions with manager Didier Deschamps and team doctor Franck Le Gall, the 26-year-old was sent back to Liverpool for further assessment after being an unused substitute in France’s 3–0 victory over Azerbaijan.
Liverpool face nervous wait over key defender
It remains uncertain whether Konaté has aggravated his quad issue, but the development is a major concern for Arne Slot ahead of the Manchester United encounter. His fitness will be evaluated at the AXA Training Centre in the coming days, and if he’s unavailable, Liverpool will be left with just Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez as their only senior centre-backs.
Deschamps’ decision to release Konaté early is at least a sensible precaution, avoiding further risk. However, given Liverpool’s limited defensive depth and Konaté’s recent dip in form, his potential absence still poses a significant problem. The Reds will be hoping the early withdrawal allows him enough time to recover and be ready to face United next weekend.
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