Liverpool have been dealt another frustrating injury blow as defender Ibrahima Konate has been ruled out for three weeks.
The Frenchman has joined a raft of players on the treatment table after picking up a hamstring injury which will keep him out of at least the next three fixtures, while he could also miss the Champions League first leg clash with Real Madrid.
Jurgen Klopp is facing an anxious wait to see if the 23-year-old will be fit in time for the meeting with Carlo Ancelotti's side on February 21, with Virgil van Dijk also in a race to be fit. In the meantime, Konate will not be available for the Premier League fixtures against Wolves, Everton and Newcastle.
Konate started Sunday's FA Cup fourth round defeat to Brighton alongside Joe Gomez, who is now expected to pair Joel Matip at the heart of Liverpool's defence, with Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams the next logical back-ups. Phillips had been hoping to leave the club on transfer deadline day if any suitable offers came in.
Whether Klopp now allows the 25-year-old leave remains to be seen. Liverpool recalled Williams from a loan spell at Blackpool this month to help cover for that eventuality. Fabinho can also play at centre-back and Klopp will not sign a replacement if Phillips does depart, with Galatasaray among the clubs said to be interested.
Liverpool have had rotten luck with injuries so far this season and still have Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino and Fabio Carvalho out, while loan signing Arthur Melo is also sidelined. Darwin Nunez has only just recovered from his latest fitness issue, in what has been a difficult start to the season for the Reds.
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After the holders crashed of the FA Cup at the weekend, Liverpool's only remaining chance of silverware this season lies in the Champions League, but Madrid will be a stern test on current form. Konate was arguably the standout player in last season's final between the two sides, though Liverpool's current form is a world away from the side which dominated Madrid but ultimately lost 1-0 in Paris last May.
While Carvalho is nearing a return to action, the other absentees are only just gearing up for a return to training. Speaking last week, Klopp said: "Luis takes longer but Diogo, Bobby and Virgil, a couple of weeks and [then they] can join training, and then we have to see how quick it goes from there."
Providing an update on Arthur, who has made just one appearance since joining in August, he said: "I would say pretty good, so he’s running a lot. Two or three weeks, I think, maybe until he can join team training."
