Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate should be back in contention to start as the Reds take on Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League this midweek. Arne Slot’s side also has Aston Villa at Anfield at the weekend before the next international break.
“Thanks for all the messages of support,” Konate wrote on Instagram Monday. “My injury isn’t serious, thankfully. I had a scan today and it confirmed there is no break. I’ll be ready for the next game.”
Virgil van Dijk had landed on Konate during the Reds’ win over Brighton in the Premier League when the pair challenged for a set-piece. But even though Konate was forced off in pain at half-time and replaced by Joe Gomez, he has avoided a lengthy lay-off.
Elsewhere, Liverpool is currently without four other players. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since limping off against Crystal Palace before the October international break while Harvey Elliott has been missing since he fractured his foot while playing for England U21s in September.
Diogo Jota is missing at the moment with the rib injury that he sustained against Chelsea, while summer signing Federico Chiesa is still working his way up to full fitness having missed the whole of pre-season. Neither of those two will return this week either with some point after the next international break, which follows the Aston Villa game, targeted for a comeback.
Liverpool.com says: So far, Slot has not done too badly with injuries. Alisson, Jota, and Chiesa not being fit is not a huge surprise given their histories. Elliott was unlucky to pick up an issue when he would have played a lot over the past few weeks, even if only to keep Dominik Szoboszlai a bit fresher.
