Liverpool have been dealt a blow today with the news that Ibrahima Konate has picked up yet another injury.
Konate has had a difficult season so far, injuries restricting him to just 10 first team appearances. And now, as per journalist Paul Joyce on Twitter, the Frenchman has had a further setback.
Joyce reports that Konate is facing up to three weeks out with a hamstring injury. This reportedly means that the 23-year-old will definitely miss Premier League games against Wolves, Everton and Newcastle United.
And it’s claimed that the issue will also ‘potentially’ rule him out of the first-leg against Real Madrid. Liverpool are due to take on their Champions League final conquerors at Anfield on February 21st. The bad news just keeps on coming.
More bad news for Liverpool
Deadline day is usually a day that supporters look forward to with anticipation. The chance that a new player could be arriving before the day is out is enough to get even the sternest of supporters excited.
But for Liverpool fans, today has been one of anguish and disappointment. Jurgen Klopp predicted as much after Sunday’s defeat against Brighton – stating in no uncertain terms that his business in the market was done.
What with the Reds lowly position in the table, that was the news that nobody wanted to hear.
We’ve become used to that over the years though, so it’s something that we can stomach to a certain degree.
But more injury news is hard to take. Really hard to take. The last thing Liverpool need right now is more unavailability. As they seek to get back to something like normality, Konate’s absence is going to hurt them. In the darkness of the defeat at Brighton, he was a bright spot, being called ‘incredible’ by former Red Steve Nicol.
Already without Virgil van Dijk, Klopp will now have to pray that both Joe Gomez and Joel Matip stay healthy. Given their chequered injury pasts, that’s certainly not a given.
Last time Liverpool faced off against Real in a Champions League knockout tie, Nat Phillips started at centre-back.
The 25-year-old was due to be on his way out of Anfield today. But thanks to Ibou, Phillips will now almost certainly stay. The way things are going, who’d bet against Big Nat making up part of Liverpool’s back four in the Spanish capital again. What a season.
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