It was always going to be a risk playing one of Liverpool’s key starters for longer than 45 minutes in Europe ahead of the hosting of Manchester City.
The risk in Ibrahima Konate’s case, sadly, did not pay off, with the Frenchman appearing to pull up with a muscle injury when chasing a ball.
Reports shared on X by a host of journalists indicate the possibility that the injury may not be as serious as initially feared.
Hard to tell if that was a muscle injury for Konate or discomfort in his ankle given the way he was moving. Either way, using him for more than 45 minutes here felt like a huge risk, and it looks like it has come back to bite Jurgen Klopp.
— David Lynch (@dmlynchlfc) March 7, 2024
🔴 Sparta have one back: 3-1. You can't say they didn't deserve one considering the positions they got into first half, though Conor Bradley scoring it is a surprise…
Ibrahima Konate now injured and Virgil van Dijk coming on.
— Matt Addison (@MattAddison97) March 7, 2024
Konate is walking off the pitch. Went down but got back up to go off. https://t.co/FXJNriIKD1
— Paul Gorst (@ptgorst) March 7, 2024
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Far from ideal timing
If there was any one game we’d be desperate to have Ibrahima Konate for – it’s the upcoming visit of Pep Guardiola’s men.
The French international has been in truly sensational form for us since December, forming a rock-solid partnership with Virgil van Dijk in the backline.
We can, fortunately, count on either one of Jarell Quansah or Joe Gomez to fill the gap if need be.
It would just be such a huge shame to be missing our No.5’s talents in a game of potential significance.
What a heavy blow to take.
Geggenpressing, intensive sprinting and closing down. Now another key injury, maybe 3.
Klopp knows how to run the shite out of a team. Massive injuries last year and not great in the years prior to that.
City control the game and have a groundbreaking medical set up, enough said.
No problem, all we need is 11 players in red and the Anfield atmosphere. The rest is anyone’s guess! Liverpool 5 Man city 0. YNWA
So good KBD was only out for half a season.
Nobody said he was out. He also was not limping or in any kind of distress when he walked off the field. He will play Sunday.