Liverpool center-back Ibrahima Konate will be using the international break to recover from an injury, forcing him to withdraw from the France squad this month. Konate’s absence from the Reds’ lineup against Brentford on Sunday came as a surprise, as he was expected to start.

Injury Concerns for Konate and Gomez

Reports later revealed that Liverpool decided to exercise caution with Konate due to a minor fitness issue, similar to the situation with Joe Gomez. The French Football Federation (FFF) has now confirmed that Konate will not be participating in the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Greece.

The FFF released a statement announcing the call-up of Chelsea defender Axel Disasi as Konate’s replacement. According to the statement, Konate suffered a small muscle injury to his left hamstring during the warm-up before Liverpool’s recent match against Toulouse. The 24-year-old requires approximately two weeks of treatment for his recovery.

Possible Return for Manchester City Match

If Konate’s recovery goes as planned, he could potentially make the squad for Liverpool’s match against Manchester City on November 25. However, the timing of this injury conveniently aligns with Jurgen Klopp’s lighthearted criticism of Konate’s workload with the French national team last month.

Klopp jokingly expressed his concerns about Konate’s playing time under France manager Didier Deschamps, highlighting the center-back’s history of injury problems. The Liverpool manager suggested that Deschamps should have given Konate a full 90-minute rest instead of playing him for extended periods during international matches.

Previous Disagreements over Fitness

It is worth noting that there was a disagreement between Liverpool and France regarding Konate’s fitness during the September international break as well. Despite being sidelined with a muscle injury, Konate was initially called up to the French squad but later had to withdraw.