Jurgen Klopp Jokingly Implores Ibrahima Konate to Tell Didier Deschamps ‘That’s How You Rest a Player’
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp jokingly implored Ibrahima Konate to tell France manager Didier Deschamps ‘that’s how you rest a player’ after being given a night off for Liverpool on Thursday. The Frenchman has faced his fair share of injuries woes during his time with Liverpool and the management of his minutes is of upmost importance to Klopp.
The manager opted against including Konate in his squad against Toulouse, allowing the centre-back extra time to recover after 458 minutes for club and country in just less than a month. Liverpool opted not to take any risks in the Europa League clash, but the manager acknowledged Konate’s situation was not managed the same while with France during the October break.
Klopp’s Light-Hearted Message to Deschamps
But while his words on paper may seem a little prickly, Klopp’s view on France manager Deschamps playing Konate for 90 minutes and then 87 was somewhat light-hearted, though, you sense there was some truth to his message.
“[Konate] did not start tonight. He’s not even in the squad,” Klopp told RMC Sport. “I love absolutely everything about Ibou, but the problem is Ibou had injury problems from time to time, and Monsieur Deschamps played him 90 [vs. Netherlands] and 87 [vs. Scotland] minutes in the two games.
“So, we’ve used this time now to give him a little rest. He could have played tonight [Thursday], of course, but he has to play on Sunday again. That’s why I spoke to Ibou and told him, tell Monsieur Deschamps, ‘that’s how you rest a player’,” Klopp said with a grin. “Not three minutes, the fully 90.
But we are more than overly happy with Ibou. [He is a] fantastic boy and a super player and France can be really happy to have him.”
Konate’s Injury Woes
Konate has faced his fair share of injuries woes during his time with Liverpool and the management of his minutes is of upmost importance to Klopp. The manager opted against including Konate in his squad against Toulouse, allowing the centre-back extra time to recover after 458 minutes for club and country in just less than a month. Liverpool opted not to take any risks in the Europa League clash, but the manager acknowledged Konate’s situation was not managed the same while with France during the October break.
Of course, it is Deschamps’s prerogative to play Konate as and when he pleases, having called him up to his squad. But with one of their October games a friendly against Scotland, Liverpool could be forgiven for thinking his game time would be managed after securing a Euro qualifying win over the Netherlands.
November Break
With the November break coming up, Klopp will be keeping a close eye on how Konate is used for their two qualifiers against Gibraltar and Greece – and if the No. 5 passed on his message!
Konate has been an important part of Liverpool’s defensive line since joining from RB Leipzig in 2021 and Klopp will be hoping that Deschamps manages his minutes wisely in order to keep him fit and healthy for Liverpool’s upcoming fixtures. With both clubs relying on Konate’s services, it’s important that he is given the proper rest and recovery time in order to ensure he can perform at his best for both teams.