Ibrahima Konate has all the attributes be a top central defender – height, pace, strength and skill – but the one thing he needs to work on is his concentration levels, Jurgen Klopp believes.
Konate is still adapting to the different tactical requirements at Liverpool plus the unique demands of the Premier League following his £36m move from RB Leipzig last summer and appears to have some way to go before displacing Joel Matip as Virgil Van Dijk’s regular partner – with England international Joe Gomez also fighting to regain his place.
After the serious injury problems experienced by that trio last season, Jurgen Klopp could not risk going into the season without signing a fourth top centre-half and Konate was signed as quality cover in the short-term with the potential to be a regular in the long term.
So far, Klopp is happy with Konate’s progress and believes that, at 22 years of age, time is on the 6ft 4ins Paris-born player’s side to find the total on-pitch focus that he says is lacking at the moment.
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“But when you are that skilled, that quick, that strong, then it is pretty normal, especially when you are young, that your concentration level drops form time to time.
“Tactically, we obviously play very different to Leipzig. They play quite frequently there with three at the back which is different to us as well. He had to adapt and has still to adapt to his team-mates, to the left and to the right of him. And on top of that, with Virgil, Joel and Joe, we have three more world-class centre-halves from my point of view.
“We just couldn’t go into the season with three centre halves, especially with all three coming back from long-term injuries. So we needed to do that and now for him it is about using the moments you get, using the minutes you get, using the games you get and bringing yourself in the best possible shape and deliver when you are on the pitch. And that is what he is doing, so all is fine.”
After starting the last two games, Konate could be back on the bench for tonight’s re-arranged EFL Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal at Anfield with Matip likely to be back alongside Van Dijk.
Klopp says he is keen to end Liverpool’s long wait for success in both the domestic cup competitions – they haven’t won the League Cup since 2012 and the FA Cup since 2006 – especially as Manchester City are firm favourites for the Premier League after moving 11 points clear of them.
He denies suggestions he hasn’t taken them seriously because the Champions League, won in 2019, and Premier League, won the following year, have been bigger priorities.
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Even though Caoimihn Kelleher is the regular EFL Cup goalkeeper, Alisson Becker is set to start because Klopp feels his No 1 needs a game having not played since 28 December. Trent Alexander-Arnold will also be back after missing the FA Cup tie against Shrewsbury following a positive Covid test.
But Divock Origi will be missing again which a is real setback for the striker and the team with Mo Salah and Sadio Mane away at the African Nations Cup. Thiago Alcantara is also still out.
Predicted Liverpool XI to face Arsenal (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabinho, Henderson; Minamino, Firmino, Jota.
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