Jurgen Klopp has revealed that although Ibrahima Konate is fit to return to the Liverpool squad, he won’t be starting the player tonight.
The Reds have a tricky Champions League visit to Ajax this evening.
Klopp’s side have been without their powerhouse of a defender in recent weeks due to injury.
Joe Gomez has proven himself an erratic replacement and ideally, Liverpool need the Frenchman back to partner Virgil van Dijk.
And although Klopp confirms that the former Leipzig defender is fit again, he isn’t ready to go straight back into the starting lineup.
He told the club’s official website: “[Konate] is here. Ready to play minutes, I would say. He could play the first minutes but that would not make too much sense, so minutes yes. That’s it. Nothing new yet.”
Liverpool team news
Klopp’s troops are home to Leeds United on Saturday and the German manager might use that game as Konate’s comeback instead.
Konate, a £36 million signing during the summer of 2021 [The Guardian], has been an excellent addition by the Anfield outfit.
But these injuries are getting concerning and Klopp is definitely doing the right thing by keeping him on the bench for the visit to Amsterdam.
It wouldn’t reflect well on the former Borussia Dortmund boss if he starts Konate and all of a sudden he’s injured again.
Earlier this week, HITC Sport wrote about how Liverpool could drop Gomez and unleash Nat Phillips again and with Klopp’s comments about Konate, well that seems extra possible now.
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