Ibrahima Konate is expected to miss Liverpool vs. Aston Villa on Sunday due to injury, but has been called up for France’s Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Konate was forced to sit out of the Reds’ trip to Newcastle in the Premier League last weekend, having missed training in the buildup.
The centre-back picked up a minor muscle injury, with Jurgen Klopp doubting his involvement until after the September international break.
He is yet to return to training, having not been part of the 30-man squad at the AXA Training Centre in midweek, and therefore is almost certainly out against Villa.
However, positive news has emerged with Konate’s call-up to the France squad for their Euro 2024 qualifiers against the Republic of Ireland and Germany.
There was no expectation that he would be included, but manager Didier Deschamps is hopeful he can take part in the ties on September 7 and 12.
“We’ll assess the situation on Monday, but he’s supposed to be available,” Deschamps told reporters on Thursday.
“Of course, I won’t take risks.”
In quotes carried by GFFN, the national team coach continued: “He was stopped for four days, he followed his programme and he will train until Monday.
“It’s highly likely that he won’t be involved for Liverpool’s game on Sunday.”
While this changes little in terms of Klopp’s diagnosis, it at least allays fears among fans of a longer-term issue for Konate.
It is often the case that Klopp will downplay the severity of a muscle issue, with a number of examples of players going on to miss months of action.
The hope is that, as Deschamps insists, there will be no risks taken with Konate over the break, and he can build up his fitness ahead of the trip to Wolves on September 16.
