Didier Deschamps: Liverpool ace Konate to miss France duty with injury
France manager Didier Deschamps has eased concerns over Ibrahima Konate’s injury, confirming the Liverpool defender’s issue is not serious despite ruling him out of international duty.
Konate was a surprise omission from Liverpool’s squad to face Brentford on Sunday after picking up a minor hamstring problem. The injury also forced Konate to withdraw from the France squad for their upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers.
As covered by Liverpool Echo, Deschamps calmed fears the issue could keep Konate sidelined long-term. Thankfully it is not a serious injury and the defender should return to action soon.
“He felt something in his hamstring. He had tests, but it’s not serious. He needs a bit of time to not take any risks. It’s an area where he already has an injury,
It wasn’t in his interest or mine (to call him up). In the best of cases, he could have been training only Friday or Saturday.”
Konate sustained the muscle problem during the warmup ahead of Liverpool’s midweek 3-2 defeat to Toulouse. He missed the clash against Brentford at the weekend and it remains to be seen if he will be available to face Manchester City after the international break.
The French federation confirmed Konate is expected to require around two weeks of treatment. That timeline gives hope the 24-year-old could return against Manchester City on November 25.
While Ibrahima Konate will sit out international duty, Deschamps’ comments are reassuring for Liverpool. After criticism from Jurgen Klopp over his France workload, a major injury layoff would have been concerning.
But the manager’s verdict indicates this is just a minor hamstring issue that should clear up with rest over the break.
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Liverpool will monitor Konate closely when he returns to Merseyside. But for now, the brief spell on the sidelines looks precautionary as the defender aims to regain full fitness swiftly.
