Liverpool’s injury concerns deepened after centre-back Ibrahima Konate was replaced during a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea.
The French defender’s early exit explains that players feel his “a bit of quad” and limps markedly, raising new questions about Liverpool’s defensive depth when the team is already thin in the central defense.
Konate’s withdrawal came late in the loss of Girling Stamford Bridge, a game determined by the winner of the suspension time that exacerbated Liverpool’s narrow comeback.
Arne Slot took a careful approach with Konate
Slot revealed that he removed Konate because “all alarm bells go off” as the player stepped in after the sprint.
The slot states, as reported by Liverpool Echo: “I don’t know if it was a major injury or not, but all I know is that he stepped in a bit and when I asked him he said he felt a bit of his quad.
“Then, for me, all the alarm bells go off because in another sprint, I don’t know if that will work or not.
“It was also an alternative that I had in mind, maybe a few minutes or even a little later, the right centre-back had a lot of balls and had to be created from that position.
“We all know that Ryan (Greygun Burch) is very good on that.
“It might be okay that he went out early enough, but it was clear he had to take off him because he was limping.”
Liverpool has struggled defensively this season
Fear timing is particularly troublesome. Liverpool had already missed out on key personnel. The club traveled to West London without first-choice goalkeeper Alison, but the centre-back group has been undermined by other absences.
Slot tried to soften the response by noting that it was something he had already considered, in part for tactical reasons, but he also admitted that the visible limp made the decision more clear.
A careful replacement for the slot may still prove wise if the issue is minor, but Liverpool’s depleted centre-back option means the club cannot afford long-term absences.
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