Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has been left out of Jurgen Klopp’s squad to face West Ham United tonight.
The Reds take on the Hammers at the London Stadium later on, with David Moyes’s side looking to ensure their Premier League survival.
The Merseyside outfit are largely unchanged for the clash, with pretty much the same team lining out, as they have done for the past few weeks.
However, one very noticeable omission is Konate at centre-back.
Joel Matip has come into the starting XI, whereas the Frenchman isn’t even named on the bench.
Konate misses out vs West Ham
Speaking during his pre-match press conference yesterday, the Reds manager admitted that the 23-year-old was a doubt for the game tonight.
“We have to see,” said Klopp. “We use the full time until tomorrow – well, we leave today so the decision we have to make today.
“Ibou, we need to see how it is with him, but in the moment, I am rather positive, but that doesn’t mean a lot.”
However, Konate hasn’t been included in the squad at all, failing to even make the bench.
Instead, Matip starts with Joe Gomez presumably acting as his back-up.
This is another worrying sign from the France international, as despite having all the talent in the world, he has faced an excessive amount of injuries this season.
This could become a problem in the future, as the youngster is touted to be at the heart of the Reds’s defence for years to come.
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