Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp talks about Ibrahima Konate after the 2-1 win over Tottenham
One of the best players for Liverpool in their 2-1 win against a rigid Tottenham Hotspur side side was Ibrahima Konate. The 23-year-old Frenchman has been struggling with injury issues this season and has largely spent time on the sidelines.
So much so that this late in November, the appearance against Tottenham was just his fourth across all competitions this season. Konate played his first full 90 came against Napoli midweek before repeating it against Spurs on Sunday.
Ibou was a major reason why the Reds could restrict Spurs to just a single goal in the second half. The Reds’ were prone to a lot of counter-attacks from their opponents in the second 45 of the game. Konate was excellent in absorbing the pressure and maintained a calm presence in the backline alongside Virgil van Dijk.
Speaking of his performance with the club’s official website and whether he was happy with what he saw from the former RB Leipzig centre-back, here is what manager Jurgen Klopp had to say:
“Absolutely, absolutely. Ibou first half already he was outstanding. A top game, absolutely. Of course we are happy to have him, but we didn’t have him a lot, that’s how it is. This is now really intense for him, he had now two starts in a row. I hope he is fine and we can go from here.”
Knee issues have kept Konate on the sidelines for a major chunk of the season, and hence, that is why the gaffer might be thinking of his fitness ahead of the rest of the games. Liverpool have had to deal with a lot of injury issues this season but it is refreshing to see Ibou return and play exceedingly well.
He has made 33 appearances for the Reds across all competitions since his move to the club and has four clean sheets in 13 games in the Premier League.
Sensational Konate for the Reds
Konate is also in contention to feature for France in the World Cup later this month and needs a few good performances and minutes on his back to earn a call-up to Didier Deschamps’ squad for the tournament in Qatar.
The game also saw Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain play for a minute after an injury layoff. He featured in the game against Nottingham Forest and was on the bench against Leeds United.
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Hopefully, Konate is now completely fit and raring to go ahead in the rest of the season. Liverpool play just one league fixture before the FA suspends the PL for the World Cup later this month.
