Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk tells central defensive partner how to condition his body

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk highlighted the importance of conditioning the body for Ibrahima Konate, according to the congested fixtures

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk emphasised the importance of maintaining fitness level for Ibrahima Konate during the congested fixture period. Van Dijk hyped Konate’s qualities but stressed the need to feature consistently to become one of the best defenders.

Liverpool are currently second in the Premier League table amid the congested fixture period, facing Burnley in the boxy day. The Reds have successfully progressed in every competition so far while competing for the Premier League title.

The Premier League competition has been tight with few points separating the top four sides, leaving no margin for error. Many clubs have struggled with an injury crisis this season whereas Liverpool have lost Joel Matip to a season-long injury.

The Reds have also lost Kostas Tsimikas after he suffered a collarbone fracture against Arsenal. They are already missing Andy Roberson in the left-back position, estimated to return in January. Liverpool’s shortage in defence put added pressure on available players to perform consistently while maintaining their fitness in this period.

Speaking before the boxing day match against Burnley (h/t Liverpool Echo), Van Dijk highlighted Konate’s qualities and the fitness demand. He said:

“He’s still growing. He’s an outstanding defender. He has everything that a modern-day footballer needs to be at the absolute top of centre-backs. There’s a lot of demands from us. We play with the ball, keep a high line, you need the pace and deal lots of space to defend in behind. He needs pace and heading as well. He’s doing it well. It’s about getting used to playing every three days, looking after your body, managing games and training sessions, and when to do certain things. He is learning. I speak a lot with him about certain things because it’s my duty to share experiences with him. He’s still learning and he can be even better than he is. Same goes with Jarell Quansah.”

Liverpool signed Konate as a long-term solution for ageing first-choice centre-back Matip, with abilities to match Van Dijk’s success. The 24-year-old has shown his immense talent as a modern-day defender with qualities on and off the ball.

He bullies any attacker out of possession without much effort, showcasing the robust build of the France international, like a bulldozer. Konate uses patience, and game intelligence to make tackles and interceptions to deal with the opposition’s attack in high-line tactics.

The 24-year-old has a deceptively high pace and the positioning sense to catch up to any pacy attacker. Konate bullied Gabriel Jesus and Gabiel Martinelli throughout the game against Arsenal in a 1-1 draw at Anfield.

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The Frenchman’s impeccable performance earned the praise from the Kopites and some football pundits despite the media’s favouritism towards Arsenal players. At Merseyside, everyone knows well about the abilities and skills of the 24-year-old, but only his injury record hampers his progress.

Konate has the trust and respect of the fanbase and his peers for everything that he brings to the table. However, he needs to maintain a high level of fitness to etch his legacy at Anfield, like Van Dijk.