The injury suffered by Ibrahima Konate in Liverpool’s game against Chelsea at the weekend could add a new problem to Arne Slot’s current woes.
Konate was substituted at Stamford Bridge just before the hour mark and replaced by Curtis Jones, as the Reds went on to lose 2-1 to the Club World Cup champions.
It’s Liverpool’s third consecutive loss, after being defeated by Crystal Palace and Galatasaray over the course of the previous week.
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Ibrahima Konate injury gives Liverpool boss Arne Slot some thinking to do
Arne Slot will have some thinking to do after a second centre-back injury in a matter of weeks (Image credit: Getty Images)
After the game, the Dutchman confirmed that Konate’s substitute was due to injury rather than a tactical shift.
“I don’t know if it is a big injury,” the Liverpool boss admitted. “But what I do know is he limped a little bit, and when I asked him, he said he felt his quad a little bit.”
Slot confirmed Konate’s injury in a press conference after the game (Image credit: Getty Images)
It does expose the deficiency the Reds have in that position, however, with new signing Giovanni Leoni succumbing to a lengthy injury, leaving Joe Gomez as the only other fit centre-back at Slot’s disposal.
Although the fact that the 28-year-old was on the bench yesterday and the Liverpool boss instead opted to drop a midfielder into his position perhaps suggests he doesn’t have the manager’s full backing.
But there may be some positive news for Konate, as according to a report from L’Equipe, the centre-back is expected back to France’s Clairefontaine base on Monday afternoon for further fitness checks, which surely would be avoided in the case of a significant injury.
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, this injury to Konate is, to some extent, exposing a slight lack of balance in Liverpool’s recruitment in the summer.
A further update will be required to know how long Konate may be out for (Image credit: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
On Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, they spent a combined £194m for two forwards despite both competing for the same position in Slot’s one-striker setup.
Meanwhile, they entered the new campaign with just four senior centre-backs, one of which being the 18-year-old Leoni, and another the injury-prone Gomez. Just a fraction of their striker outlay being spent on the defensive would likely have left them feeling much sturdier through their current plight.
Konate is valued at €60m, according to Transfermarkt. Liverpool next face Manchester United, when Premier League action returns after the international break.
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