Liverpool injury fears grow as 25-cap powerhouse is sent home from international squad | OneFootball

Liverpool have been handed a fresh injury concern ahead of their Premier League showdown against Manchester United next weekend.

Alisson Becker and Giovanni Leoni will definitely miss the clash on Sunday week, with the goalkeeper sidelined due to a hamstring problem and the teenage defender ruled out for the foreseeable future after tearing his ACL last month.

Ibrahima Konate was substituted in last weekend’s defeat to Chelsea after feeling pain in his quad, with the issue being treated while away on international duty over the past few days.

Konate withdraws from France squad due to injury concern

This afternoon, the official website of the France national team confirmed that the Liverpool centre-back has been released to his club, with Benjamin Pavard called up in his place.

A statement clarified that the 26-year-old ‘has been receiving treatment and following an adapted protocol since his arrival at Clairefontaine on Monday, but he will not be able to play in Reykjavik on Monday’.

The Reds’ number 5 withdrew from Les Bleus’ squad after consultations with manager Didier Deschamps and team doctor Franck Le Gall, and he’ll now miss their World Cup qualifier against Iceland, having been an unused substitute in the 3-0 win over Azerbaijan last night.

(Photo by Mateusz Slodkowski/Getty Images)

Konate injury worry leaves Liverpool sweating ahead of Man Utd clash

It isn’t clear from the statement whether or not Konate has aggravated his quad injury, but the news will come as a concern to Arne Slot ahead of the Man United clash in eight days’ time.

The 25-cap Frenchman’s fitness will be assessed at the AXA Training Centre over the coming days, but if he isn’t passed fit for Liverpool’s next match, it’ll leave Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez as the only two senior centre-backs available – and that’s if nothing happens to either of them in the meantime.

At least Deschamps and the France medical team had the sense to send the 26-year-old back to Merseyside today, rather than taking a risk with him and amplifying the problem.

Although Konate’s form has come under fire after some inauspicious performances in recent weeks, the lack of centre-back depth at Anfield makes his potential absence for the Man United game a real worry.

Hopefully the decision to withdraw him from national team duty is simply a precaution and was taken sufficiently early to recover in time to face the Red Devils next weekend.