Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has played down fitness concerns over centre-back Ibrahima Konate, who was substituted early in the second half against LASK on Thursday night.
Konate started the 4-0 win at Anfield but was withdrawn less than an hour into the contest as part of a triple substitution that also saw Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz leave the pitch.
The Frenchman missed games earlier in the season with a muscle problem and his recent run of three successive Premier League starts was ended by an absence against Brentford – he only returned as an unused substitute against Manchester City after the international break.
But Klopp appeared to confirm ahead of Liverpool’s league meeting with Fulham this Sunday that it was always planned for Konate to come off when he did.
“That we took him off was a medical decision. We took no risks, stuff like this. Give him minutes but not too long,” the Reds boss explained, hinting the plan is to build the player back up slowly.
Konate and Joel Matip have each shared minutes alongside Virgil van Dijk this season, with 20-year-old emerging talent Jarell Quansah typically given opportunities in the Carabao Cup and Europa League – the home-grown star was the main reason Liverpool didn’t pursue a defensive signing during the summer transfer window, despite appearing to lack senior depth.
Matip, having fallen into a back-up role, returned to the Liverpool lineup against Brentford and City.
Joe Gomez has tended to be the back-up to Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back so far this season, rather than the central position he has mainly been known for during his career.
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