Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Liverpool, Ibrahima Konate, Premier League, Champions League, Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk
Luke Davies
Topics: Liverpool, Ibrahima Konate, Premier League, Champions League, Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk
A well-respected journalist has issued an update on an injured Liverpool player – and fans will be pleased with the news.
Liverpool currently sit at the top of the Premier League and 36-team Champions League group stage, having sustained just one defeat – against Nottingham Forest in September – since Arne Slot took charge.
The mood surrounding the club is mostly a positive one, but the saga involving Mohamed Salah’s, Virgil van Dijk’s and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contracts continues to rumble on in the background.
However, Slot will likely be focusing on the Reds’ upcoming fixtures, with games against Fulham, Southampton, Tottenham, Leicester City and West Ham to come before the end of the year.
Liverpool have been relatively fortunate when it comes to injury troubles this term - apart from the absence of Alisson, who missed around two months after sustaining a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace in early October.
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The latest notable absentee is centre-back Ibrahima Konate, who picked up a knee injury in the second half of Liverpool’s 2-0 Champions League win against Real Madrid on November 27.
Ahead of the Reds’ 1-0 win away at Girona on Tuesday, he posted a photograph at the club’s AXA Training Centre but did not make the matchday squad for the trip to Northeast Spain.
Now, journalist David Lynch has revealed that the injury may not be as severe as first feared, with the French originally expected to be out for between eight and ten weeks.
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“He [Konate]’s not in a knee brace now, so that’s encouraging,” said Lynch when speaking on Anfield Agenda.
“It kind of tallies with what I said, that it’s not quite that five to six weeks that was touted.
“There’s a real hope that he can be back before that, so hopefully, back end of December, we’ll see him, rather than into January, and what a boost that will be to get him straight back as well.”
Konate has formed a formidable partnership with Van Dijk at the heart of Liverpool’s defence this season, and his absence was particularly noticeable during the 3-3 draw against Newcastle at St James’ Park on December 4.
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If the most recent update is correct, Konate should be back for Manchester United's visit to Anfield on January 5.