Ibrahima Konate likely won't play in the Merseyside derby and Real Madrid match due to a hamstring injury sustained in Liverpool's FA Cup loss to Brighton.

Source: TheRedsPlanet

Ibrahima Konate, the 23-year-old star center-back for Liverpool and the French national team, has become an important player for his club and has broken into the France team on the back of his performances for Liverpool.

Konate shining as a Liverpool star

Konate has become an important player for Jurgen Klopp’s side since joining in for a £36m move from RB Leipzig in 2021.

Despite struggling with injuries in his first two seasons at the club, he is now viewed as the first-choice center-back partner for Virgil van Dijk.

Konate has expressed his commitment to Liverpool and his goal of being part of the team in the short and long term.

“When you play for Liverpool, the question honestly is, ‘Where can I go next?’,”

he told Eurosport.

“And to last at this club, you have to perform. My goal is to be part of the team in the short and long-term, and of course to win all the titles.”

He also acknowledged the team’s struggles this season and admitted they need to freshen up their squad with new additions this summer if they want to be Premier League title challengers again.

“We’ll admit it: this season is more complicated for all of us, for the whole club. Nobody is better placed to talk about the reasons than the coach.

We were unlucky to have a lot of injured players like me at the beginning of the season, maybe we were short of manpower, the workload was intense and it became complicated. But the season is not over.”

Although Konate and Van Dijk are the preferred central defensive partnership, they have been able to play together in only eight games this season due to injuries suffered by both players.

Konate praised his teammate Van Dijk, saying,

“But Van Dijk, I put him on a different planet. We’re still a long way from achieving what he did. Although we will get there one day, I have no doubt.

What have I learned from playing with Van Dijk? Leadership, he has such an ease in defending on certain players.

He has his own technique, it’s incredible. His determination, his drive. He has an aura on the pitch, you always feel it. It’s an exceptional chance to play with him.”

However, the Frenchman also acknowledged that he needs to look at his own career and not idolize Van Dijk.

Konate lost two major finals for club and country last year in the Champions League and World Cup but said he has zero regrets and couldn’t have done anything more.

Currently away with France for their upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland, Konate remains an important player for Liverpool and a rising star for France.

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