Club to conduct further scans when the Frenchman returns to Merseyside
Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has been forced to pull out of France’s squad after failing to recover from a thigh injury sustained earlier this month.
The 26-year-old centre-back has been managing a right quadriceps problem picked up in Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat against Chelsea. He was on the bench during France’s 3-0 win over Azerbaijan on Friday.
The French Football Federation confirmed Konate’s withdrawal on Saturday, stating that while he had been following a treatment programme since joining the squad, he would not be fit to face Iceland in Monday’s World Cup qualifier.
Benjamin Pavard has been called up as his replacement.
Liverpool believe the injury is not serious but will assess the defender further when he returns to Merseyside. The Premier League champions face Manchester United at Anfield just after the international window.
Arne Slot already has concerns at centre-back after youngster Giovanni Leoni was injured in September. The club failed to another centre-back in the summer after a move for Marc Guehi collapsed on deadline day.
An injury to Konate would leave Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez as the only fit senior centre-backs.
