Liverpool dealt Ibrahima Konate blow, Arne Slot questions 'big injury' worry

The injury suffered by Ibrahima Konate in Liverpool’s game against Chelsea at the weekend could add a new problem to Arne Slot’s current woes.

Konate was substituted at Stamford Bridge just before the hour mark and replaced by Curtis Jones, as the Reds went on to lose 2-1 to the Club World Cup champions.

It’s Liverpool’s third consecutive loss, after being defeated by Crystal Palace and Galatasaray over the course of the previous week.

Ibrahima Konate injury gives Liverpool boss Arne Slot some thinking to do

After the game, the Dutchman confirmed that Konate’s substitute was due to injury rather than a tactical shift.

“I don’t know if it is a big injury,” the Liverpool boss admitted. “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.”

Slot went on to say it was a substitution he had in mind to shift Ryan Gravenberch into the backline, which he said was desirable due to the amount of the ball the player in that position was getting.

It does expose the deficiency the Reds have in that position, however, with new signing Giovanni Leoni succumbing to a lengthy injury, leaving Joe Gomez as the only other fit centre-back at Slot’s disposal.

Although the fact that the 28-year-old was on the bench yesterday and the Liverpool boss instead opted to drop a midfielder into his position perhaps suggests he doesn’t have the manager’s full backing.

But there may be some positive news for Konate, as according to a report from L’Equipe, the centre-back is expected back to France’s Clairefontaine base on Monday afternoon for further fitness checks, which surely would be avoided in the case of a significant injury.

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, this injury to Konate is, to some extent, exposing a slight lack of balance in Liverpool’s recruitment in the summer.

On Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, they spent a combined £194m for two forwards despite both competing for the same position in Slot’s one-striker setup.

Meanwhile, they entered the new campaign with just four senior centre-backs, one of which being the 18-year-old Leoni, and another the injury-prone Gomez. Just a fraction of their striker outlay being spent on the defensive would likely have left them feeling much sturdier through their current plight.

Konate is valued at €60m, according to Transfermarkt. Liverpool next face Manchester United, when Premier League action returns after the international break.