Jürgen Klopp provided an encouraging report on Ibrahima Konate’s fitness.
The defender alarmed fans after suffering a muscular injury during Liverpool’s recent 5-1 triumph over Sparta Prague.
Despite Liverpool‘s comfortable four-goal advantage going into the second leg at Anfield, Konate‘s availability for the upcoming critical match against Manchester City is doubtful.
Konate‘s injury concern came shortly after halftime, requiring his substitution for Virgil van Dijk. Klopp later said that the former RB Leipzig star expressed fears about potentially exacerbating the injury, prompting the precautionary decision to pull him from the game.
After the game, Klopp told the assembled press, “No, we don’t know it. Ibou said to me as he passed me in that time, “I thought doing another sprint would be bad.”So he said’should be alright’, but we don’t know.”
Klopp was questioned about the injury by TNT journalist Danny Jamieson, who reported on X: “Ibrahima Konate‘s substitution was precautionary – ‘he (Klopp) said if he carried on it may be a problem so we will see [for Sunday].'”
According to Transfermarkt, the French defender has an awful history of injury setbacks, missing four games this season and 19 for club and nation since 2021.
However, his conditioning has improved this season, as he has not missed any games since September. Given Konate‘s uncertain condition, Liverpool are lucky to have trustworthy alternatives in Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez,
Although Gomez hasn’t shown since December.
Konate’s likely absence against Manchester City may be a huge blow for Liverpool, given his recent form.
Conor Bradley might start at right-back on Sunday, with either Gomez or Andy Robertson covering the left full-back position.
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