The Frenchman's availability for the Champions League was brought into doubt after he missed Tuesday's open training session in Liverpool and was not named in the traveling squad
19:00, 20 Jan 2026Updated 19:10, 20 Jan 2026
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 20: Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 20, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)(Image: Getty Images)
Arne Slot failed to clarify if Ibrahima Konate will be available for Liverpool's Champions League clash against Marseille on Wednesday.
The French defender missed Tuesday's open training session at the AXA Training Centre, and was then not named in the traveling squad for the Champions League match a few hours later.
Konate flew to France ahead of the game for family reasons and his place in the squad remains in doubt.
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Asked in Tuesday's press conference whether Konate could play some part against Marseille, Slot chose his words carefully.
"Ibou didn’t travel with the club because of family matters. I will speak to him again tomorrow. I will leave it with that."
Konate's absence would be a huge blow given the former RB Leipzig man has started every Premier League and Champions League match this season.
Should Konate miss out, Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are likely to start at center-back, but the Reds do not have further center-back options. Wellity Lucky, who has been involved in squads in recent weeks, was also not included in the group that flew to France.
Ibrahima Konate
Konate did not train with Liverpool on Tuesday(Image: 2026 Getty Images)
The Reds head into match in the ninth place in the league phase and sits just outside the automatic qualification places based on goals scored alone.
Three points will almost certainly be required to move into the top eight heading into next week's final round of fixtures.
There will be more to follow on this breaking news story and Liverpool.com will bring you the very latest updates, pictures and video as soon as possible.
Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story as they happen.
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