Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has not sustained a serious injury and has a “good chance” of featuring in next weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester United.
The France international was left out of the matchday squad for Sunday’s Premier League title race showdown with Manchester City, with Jarell Quansah starting alongside Virgil van Dijk at the back in the 1-1 draw.
Konate picked up a hamstring problem in Liverpool’s 5-1 Europa League thrashing of Sparta Prague last week, coming off early in the second half, and was sent for scans to determine the severity of the knock.
Speaking after Sunday’s game, Klopp revealed the 24-year-old will be back in action soon, potentially for the FA Cup trip to Old Trafford.
Asked if it was a serious injury, Klopp told reporters: “No, no. Ibou has a chance for United. A good chance.
“We need the players back. All the stories we created with the kids and stuff are wonderful, wonderful, I couldn’t be happier about that, but of course we fight for the biggest prize in football.
“Today, Ibou Konate is out then we start all three of our other centre-halves and if one goes down and we play in the next six days two games with two centre-halves which play all the time. All these kind of things are really tricky but we came through it.”
Liverpool are back in action on Thursday when they host Sparta in the second leg of their last-16 tie, though Klopp could take the chance to rest several players following the convincing result in the first game in Czechia.
There are hopes the injured quartet of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch and Stefan Bajcetic could be fit soon after the March international break, though Diogo Jota and Alisson won’t return until April and Joel Matip’s season is over.
