Image Credits: Imago Images
Liverpool travel to the hostile cauldron of the Stade Vélodrome on Wednesday night as they attempt to qualify for the automatic qualification spots to the knock-out stages later this year.
Arne Slot’s men were out on the AXA Training Centre for final preparations ahead of the clash, but Ibrahima Konate was not among the players training with the main team.
Konate’s unexpected absence arrives at a moment Liverpool can least afford defensive disruption. With Giovanni Leoni ruled out for the season following ACL surgery and Conor Bradley sidelined until the Premier League run-in, Joe Gomez will likely be asked to deputise.
However, it is not injury-related, with James Pearce of the Athletic reporting that the Frenchman has returned home due to family reasons:
“Ibrahima Konate back in France for family reasons. Remains to be seen whether he links up with the squad in Marseille.”
Liverpool were always going to be scrutinised given the stakes in France, and Konate’s absence only ramps up the tension.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah has returned to Merseyside after his third-place play-off defeat to Nigeria at the weekend. The Egyptian was training with the team at the AXA today, and a final fitness decision will be made on whether he can feature in France on Wednesday evening.
There will also be plenty of curiosity among supporters over Salah’s condition after a gruelling AFCON schedule and long-haul travel.
If he is passed fit, there will be hope among the fanbase that he can return to the form he showed during the 2024/25 campaign.
Arne Slot and one other player will be speaking to the media at 6.40pm GMT this evening, with an update on Konate and Salah likely to be addressed then.
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