Summary Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate has raised doubts about his availability to face Manchester City after picking up a hamstring problem. Konate's frequent injuries are becoming a cause for concern, considering his status as the future of Liverpool's defence. Liverpool will feel weakened without his pace and physicality against prolific striker Erling Haaland if he misses the clash at the Etihad.
Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate has been out injured for the last two matches, and now a significant update has emerged over his potential return date.
Liverpool suffer Konate injury blow
The Reds faced a possible banana skin at home to Brentford on Sunday afternoon, considering the Bees recently won away to Chelsea, but Jurgen Klopp's men made light work of them, winning 3-0 at Anfield in the Premier League. Liverpool's victory was made all the more impressive by the fact that they had to make do without a number of key starters, with Konate and Robertson missing at the back and both Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch unavailable in midfield.
For Konate, it is another frustrating spell out of the team, with injuries continuing to be picked up by him at too frequent a rate, and it is beginning to become a cause for concern, considering he is seen as the future of Liverpool's defence, being hailed as "incredible" by Virgil van Dijk.
The 24-year-old will play no part for France during the current international break, being withdrawn because of his fitness setback, and now a key update has dropped over how long he could be sidelined for Liverpool.
Fresh Konate injury news
Taking to X on Sunday evening, French journalist Fabrice Hawkins claimed that Konate is expected to be missing for another two weeks for Liverpool, putting him in danger of missing the crucial clash with Manchester City.
"Victim of a small muscle injury to the left hamstring with Liverpool in the Europa League on Thursday in Toulouse during the warm-up, Ibrahima Konaté was unable to play this weekend with Liverpool. His injury requires approximately two weeks of treatment."
Hawkins words could be slightly skewed by the fact that he may be referring to two weeks starting from last Thursday, when Liverpool faced Toulouse in the Europa League, but either way, it looks as though he is a massive doubt for the City game. The Reds make the trip to the Etihad for a lunchtime offering a week on Saturday, with the fixture landing on November 25th, and it is a match that could end up having a major bearing on who wins the Premier League title this season.
Konate being unavailable for the game would be a massive blow for Klopp, even though Joel Matip is enjoying a pleasing return to form at the moment, with the Frenchman's recovery pace something that is needed so badly up against the prolific Erling Haaland. Matip, in comparison, doesn't possess that searing speed, or Konate's physical stature for that matter, so Liverpool will immediately feel weakened if they have to get by without Van Dijk's first-choice centre-back partner.
There is still an element of hope that Konate could be passed fit in time, but equally, throwing him back in when he isn't match fit could feel like too big a risk against arguably the best club side in the world.
Matip's form does at least mean that he is a good option – Joe Gomez is faster and could even be in contention to start – but there is no question that Liverpool feel at their strongest with the Frenchman in the starting lineup.