Latest club website update on Konate injury as of Sunday afternoon | OneFootball

Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat at Chelsea brought yet another setback for us, this time an injury scare to Ibou Konate, who was withdrawn just 10 minutes into the second half at Stamford Bridge.

Our boss confirmed after the match that the French defender “felt his quad” and had to be replaced to avoid risking further damage.

It was the latest blow in what’s been a bruising week for the Premier League champions.

Arne Slot confirms fresh Konate injury concern

(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Speaking after the match (via liverpoolfc.com), Slot explained the thinking behind the substitution.

“I don’t know if it is a big injury, but what I do know is he limped a little bit and when I asked him he said he felt his quad a little bit,” the 47-year-old said.

“Then, for me, all alarm bells go off because in another sprint you never know if that is going to go good.”

The Dutchman revealed that the change had been on his mind even before Konate’s issue arose.

“It was also already a substitution I had in mind,” he added.

“The right centre-back had a lot of ball possession and we needed to create from that position. We all know Ryan [Gravenberch] is quite good in that.”

Slot admitted it was “clear I had to take him off because he was limping,” though there’s cautious optimism that the centre-back went off early enough to prevent a serious problem.

Liverpool’s defensive depth stretched further

(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

The timing could hardly be worse for us, with fellow defender Giovanni Leoni already sidelined after suffering an ACL injury last month.

It means our back line is again being tested just as the fixtures pile up, and ahead of the crucial meeting with Manchester United after the international break.

The hope now is that Konate’s injury proves minor. Losing him for any extended spell would leave the Reds with limited senior centre-halves available.

The manager’s quick decision to act could yet prove decisive. “It might be OK that he went off early enough,” Slot said, suggesting the issue may not be as bad as feared.

Given the uncertainty around Konate’s fitness and Andy Robertson’s knock, the break may have come at the right time for us to regroup and reset before the run of fixtures that will define the coming months.

You can watch Slot’s post Chelsea press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:

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