Ibrahima Konate shared the sad news that his father had passed away, and Arne Slot all but confirmed that the defender will not be involved in the trip to Bournemouth.
Konate missed Liverpool’s visit to Marseille in midweek to be with his family in Paris, with an announcement shared on Thursday that his father, Hamady, had passed away.
Hamady’s funeral will be held this Friday in Aulnay-sous-Bois in the suburbs of Paris, and Konate will be given the time he needs after his sad personal loss.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Slot kept it brief regarding the 26-year-old, but he made it clear, without explicitly saying it, that he will not return to the squad against Bournemouth.
“I spoke to him a few times, and I think these are private matters and they should stay between us,” Slot said.
“But it’s very obvious that if something like that happens, then the player needs time to be there for his family and also time for himself.”
Joe Gomez expected to continue alongside Virgil van Dijk vs. Bournemouth
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, January 20, 2026: Liverpool's Joe Gomez (L) and captain Virgil van Dijk during a training session at the AXA Training Centre ahead of the UEFA Champions League match between Olympique de Marseille and Liverpool FC. (Photo by Jessica Hornby/Propaganda)
Joe Gomez started alongside Virgil van Dijk in the 3-0 midweek victory in the absence of Konate, and he will be expected to do so again on Saturday.
His performance was praised by Slot and Van Dijk after the match, in what was only his second start partnering the club captain this season.
The last time Gomez started back-to-back games for Liverpool he suffered a hamstring injury against Brighton, and that fragility will be in the minds of the coaching and medical staff.
And Slot conceded that, due to his lack of successive minutes, Liverpool will have to “see how he feels today and if he is able to start on Saturday.”
Liverpool’s next match after the trip to Bournemouth is their final league phase game in the Champions League, with Qarabag visiting Anfield on Wednesday.
It remains to be seen if Konate will be back involved for then, but the club will certainly not force or rush his return.
The thoughts of everyone at This Is Anfield are with Konate and his family.