'Brilliant' Liverpool first-teamer goes off injured against Strasbourg, could be a doubt for opening PL fixtures

By Lee Connor

Liverpool might be revelling in their Community Shield win over Manchester City this weekend, but there is some concern this evening regarding Ibrahima Konate.

The big defender was named in a Liverpool XI to face Strasbourg this evening. Konate was one of few first-team regulars included in the XI, which saw a host of youngsters line up, with only Konate, Milner, and Joe Gomez really recognised first-team players (Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho also played).

However, while the result is going a bit as expected at the time of writing – Strasbourg’s experienced team winning 3-0 – there is bigger concern for Konate. The defender has gone down injured twice and subsequently, has been taken off by a concerned Liverpool backroom team.

Reported by The Athletic’s James Pearce, Konate will be bitterly disappointed to pick up a knock with the new season just under a week away.

Of course, we’ll know more come full time when Konate has had some sort of assessment. But the fact the Liverpool man went down twice and was then taken off, suggests there was some serious discomfort being felt.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will be hoping the injury is nothing serious. After signing last season, the ‘brilliant‘ Konate looked every bit a fantastic signing for the Reds.

TBR’s View: Konate Injury A Blow For Liverpool

Liverpool are blessed with four excellent defenders in Van Dijk, Matip, Gomez and Konate. However, it would be a bitter blow for the Reds to see Konate go down before the season even kicks off.

Klopp would have been hoping to use Konate from the outset and if he is to miss game time, then seeing his man injured in what some have dubbed a pointless friendly, would sting for Klopp.