National team are taking a massive risk with Liverpool’s £70k-a-week player

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France are taking a massive chance on Liverpool’s Ibou Konaté by calling him up to their World Cup squad. The Reds could end up loving it.

France announced their World Cup squad on Wednesday and Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté gets the nod. For us, that’s a surprise.

On talent, of course, Konaté should be there. But this is a player with only two France caps, both of which came because Raphael Varane was injured in the summer. He’s also only started two games this season after a couple of injuries.

So Konaté can’t possibly be 100 per cent fit. Jurgen Klopp even mentioned at the weekend that playing two games was ‘intense’ for the Frenchman.

But Didier Deschamps feels he wants the defender at the tournament. Perhaps he sees it another way – that Konaté is that little bit fresher after missing so many games this season.

Whatever the reason, it’s a risk. Konaté has struggled with fitness and will now play an intense tournament. It’s easy to worry but perhaps Liverpool could end up loving the decision.

Ibou Konaté is off to the World Cup

Konaté, who earns around £70k-a-week at Liverpool per Capology, has missed a lot of football this season. It leaves him a little further back in terms of finding his best form, given the time off largely undid his pre-season.

But the World Cup could quickly get him up to speed. Maybe this is exactly what Konaté needs, in fact, if he’s to contribute at his highest level over the second half of the season.

Even just being in and around the French team, let alone playing, will be a learning experience for Konaté. It’s also simply a level of football above whatever Liverpool will play in Dubai.

Because while many players do need rest right now, Konaté doesn’t. Yes, the injuries are a concern but he could come out the other side of the World Cup playing his best football.

And Liverpool could certainly use that.