Arne Slot will be hoping Ibrahima Konate can help Liverpool return to winning ways on Wednesday night
Ibrahima Konate has provided a timely update following Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat to Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup fourth-round. The 25-year-old defender, who missed a large chunk of the festive period with a knee injury, was one of several players rested at the weekend.
Arne Slot made 10 changes, with only Caoimhín Kelleher keeping his place in the starting line-up. That said, the Reds still fielded a strong side, with Federico Chiesa, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz leading the frontline, while Harvey Elliott roamed in the middle of the park.
Joe Gomez replaced Konate in the backline, although he lasted only a quarter of an hour. The 27-year-old defender, who was making his first game since a hamstring injury in December, appeared to sustain a muscular injury and was quickly replaced by Isaac Mabaya.
Slot was asked by reporters after the game to provide an update on Gomez. The Liverpool manager stated, “I am not too sure.” I’m not sure if it was the same leg, but I didn’t have time to ask him. It was evident, and I believe we all know when he felt a little nervous about [it], because he didn’t rush back fully.
“Then he said, ‘I am not 100 percent sure, and I am afraid if I do one more sprint, things will go wrong.'” It wasn’t torn, I suppose, but it didn’t feel good for him. That was a bit of a blow since Curtis Jones was on the bench, but he came to me this morning and said, ‘I don’t think I am totally recovered yet,’ following yesterday’s training session.
“That all of a sudden led to the fact we were with a few more youngsters on the pitch than was the idea before the game, but still there was enough quality on the pitch to get a better result than this.”
Fortunately for Slot, Konate appears to be ready to return to the starting lineup for the Merseyside Derby this weekend. On Monday night, the Liverpool defender shared a video of himself practicing coordination exercises on a balancing dome at home.
There was also a dumbbell and plate in the foreground of the shot, implying that Konate had done some resistance training. The 25-year-old defender, whose contract at Anfield expires in June 2026, will be an important addition to Slot’s squad when Liverpool face Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday night.
Last month, the Reds’ manager was questioned how excellent Konate could become. He stated: “He is already very good. He’s a centre-back who, even without touching the ball, is noteworthy due to his strength and height.
“One area where he might improve is his ball play, particularly his ability to bring the ball out of the back. I wouldn’t say he was bad at it, but he could improve and advance to the next level.
“He works very hard to develop it, and I can already see the results. He is exceptional defensively. He’s speedy, strong, and wins duels. He can also cover for his teammates as needed.
“On defense, he doesn’t have much room for improvement. We want to create even more chances with all of our ball possession, and that starts with bringing the ball out of the back.”
Konate just entered the final 18 months of his contract, and when questioned by the BBC if he had been offered a new agreement, he simply said, ‘yes’, adding that it was ‘another topic’.
