Ibrahima Konate admits to playing through pain barrier as he shares reward for Liverpool staff | OneFootball

Ibrahima Konate has admitted to playing through the pain barrier for Liverpool since his comeback from injury at the start of January.

The defender injured his knee at the end of the Champions League win over Real Madrid in late November and was sidelined for the remainder of 2024, but he returned to the fold just as Joe Gomez was struck down by his own body blow in the 5-0 thrashing of West Ham just after Christmas.

The Reds’ number 5 has started all three of our Premier League games so far this month, playing for all but 24 minutes in that time, although he was sensibly omitted from the recent FA Cup victory over Accrington Stanley (Transfermarkt).

Konate admits to playing through pain

Konate spoke to the press this afternoon ahead of the Champions League clash against Lille on Tuesday when he revealed that he rushed his comeback due to Gomez’s injury and has taken painkillers to be able to contribute on the pitch for Liverpool.

The 25-year-old said (via Liverpool Echo): “I tried to come back at 100%. I rushed my comeback for the team. I still have pain and play with painkillers, but it is enough. I don’t have to think about it.”

He also shared how he rewarded the Reds’ medical team for their work in his rehabilitation, saying: “I was very close to coming back anyway. The plan was to train that week, but when I saw Joe with his injury, I knew I had to come back really quickly. I didn’t think about my knee. The pain gets better every day.

“The physios and medical staff have done a great job. I don’t know how many hours I spent at the club every day when I was injured. I thanked them with some cookies! We never took a risk with me. I play with a bit of pain but it’s not much.”

(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Huge credit to Konate for his selflessness

It’s to Konate’s immense credit that, despite still feeling pain in his knee, he put his body on the line for Liverpool once Gomez was struck down over the New Year.

Arne Slot told reporters today that the Reds’ number 2 is set to be sidelined for another few weeks, so he’ll be praying that Ibou can stay fit in the 27-year-old’s absence.

With LFC all but guaranteed their place in the Champions League round of 16, perhaps the Frenchman could be rested tomorrow night in order to be fresher for the Ipswich game next Saturday, when our need for victory will be much greater.

Konate is one of just three senior centre-backs currently available to Liverpool, and with the 25-year-old admitting that he hasn’t been operating at 100% since his comeback earlier this month, his workload will need to be managed very carefully.

His commitment to the cause is admirable, and the Reds’ medical staff played a blinder in getting him fit enough to return ahead of schedule. They fully deserved their reward of a few cookies from our number 5!