James Pearce confirms Liverpool injury news

Liverpool return to motion within the Premier League on Saturday within the lunchtime kick-off at Craven Cottage in opposition to promoted Fulham, and a brand new replace has emerged from a dependable supply concerning an harm downside for the Reds.

What’s the most recent?

In accordance with The Athletic’s Liverpool reporter James Pearce, Ibrahima Konate can be out for the foreseeable future with a knee harm sustained within the pre-season pleasant in opposition to Strasbourg final weekend and won’t be obtainable for choice in opposition to Fulham tomorrow on the very least.

Jurgen Klopp adopted up Pearce’s report in his pre-match press convention this morning, giving a bit of extra element on the participant’s harm points as he stated (by way of Liverpool Echo): “Ibou in a problem within the sport in opposition to Strasbourg, what occurred there we now have to see how lengthy it is going to take however he’s out for some time.”

Klopp can be gutted

For a workforce like Liverpool who’re expected to be in rivalry for the Premier League title but once more this season, a great begin with a stable workforce to deploy will all the time be advantageous within the early levels of the marketing campaign, so Klopp will certainly be gutted that Konate will now be out for some time.

The Liverpool supervisor adopted up his evaluation of the Frenchman’s harm, with a declare that the Reds would now be unlikely to promote Nat Phillips this summer season to cowl the 23-year-old’s defender’s absence, following interest from each Fulham and Bournemouth.

When requested about Phillips’ probabilities of staying at Anfield, Klopp responded (by way of Liverpool Echo): “In all probability. (Konate’s harm) will affect the outgoing transfers, I’d say.”

Konate settled in spectacularly properly at Liverpool after joining final summer season and performed a valuable part within the Reds’ problem for 4 trophies and victories within the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, showcasing his confidence and expertise within the Champions League with two targets in opposition to Benfica.

Over 11 Premier League performances, the Frenchman made 78.8 touches, 1.5 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and three.4 clearances per sport and tallied a 92% cross completion charge in his personal half, additionally profitable the vast majority of his duels (62%) and efficiently finishing the vast majority of his dribbles (67%).

Will Konate be a giant miss for Liverpool?

Certainly, Joel Matip will seemingly be the first-choice companion for Virgil van Dijk, with Joe Gomez subsequent in line in Konate’s absence, judging by their respective top-flight minutes in 2021/22.

Nevertheless, each Matip and Gomez are famend for having harm points, so Klopp received’t be taking any probabilities by maintaining Phillips on standby ought to the worst case state of affairs current itself once more because it did in 2020/21, when Liverpool had virtually all of their defenders injured.

There isn’t a doubt that the Reds supervisor can be disenchanted to lose Konate so early within the season, and he can be hoping that the possible centre-back duo of Matip and Van Dijk can comfortably maintain their very own when their league season will get underway at Craven Cottage this weekend.