[New post] Liverpool star Ibrahima Konate in race to be fit for Real Madrid Champions League clash as centre-back suffers hamstring injury, which could deny Nat Phillips January transfer
Joe Moore posted: " Liverpool have been dealt yet another injury blow with news Ibrahima Konate has been ruled out for up to three weeks with a hamstring problem. And it could cause the Premier League giants to re-think their January transfer plans on deadline da" talkSPORT
Liverpool have been dealt yet another injury blow with news Ibrahima Konate has been ruled out for up to three weeks with a hamstring problem.
And it could cause the Premier League giants to re-think their January transfer plans on deadline day.
Liverpool's injury woes continue with Konate joining their long list of absentees
The centre-back could miss four games for the Reds, including the Merseyside derby against Everton, and is in a race to be fit again for their Champions League showdown with Real Madrid.
It's more bad news for Jurgen Klopp, whose squad has been ravaged by injury problems this season, leaving him without a first-choice XI for the majority of the campaign.
The Dutchman is not expected to return for another two weeks, leaving Klopp very short of top-class options ahead of a run of games against Wolves, Everton and Newcastle in the Premier League as the Reds look to rise from their current position of ninth in the table.
There are also doubts over whether Konate will be ready for the first-leg of Liverpool's Champions League last-16 tie against Real Madrid, with the holders due to visit Anfield on February 21 in a rematch of last season's final.
The news will could scupper any potential deadline day exit for Nat Phillips, who is set to get yet another recall to the Liverpool first-team as injury cover.
Phillips is likely to now stay put with Liverpool lacking proper cover in defence
The Merseysiders have already recalled 21-year-old Rhys Williams from a loan spell with Championship side Blackpool to cover the possibility of Phillips leaving in this window, but now it appears both may get game time in Reds shirts once again.
Phillips has made just five appearances this season, with Williams making 17 appearances for the Tangerines before his return to Anfield.
Liverpool had no intention of pushing Phillips out of the door before the transfer deadline, but there was a belief he could move on with a number of clubs interested in a player who Liverpool rated at £15million in the summer.
Now, though, Konate's injury makes his late January exit highly unlikely, with Joe Gomez and Joel Matip - themselves injury prone - as Klopp's only two fit senior centre-backs.
Konate has already missed ten games for Liverpool this season, having been sidelined with a knee injury earlier in the campaign, and his fitness woes are now set to continue.
It's a growing problem for the Anfield club, who have been without creative catalysts Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota since October, with Diaz missing 24 games and Jota 22.
On-loan midfielder Arthur Melo has been restricted to just one Champions League appearance since arriving from Juvnetus to help cover their midfield.
There is a big question mark over Roberto Firmino's fitness after he picked up an injury in training, with no indication of when he is expected back.
Darwin Nunez has also been absent in recent weeks, although the Uruguayan striker is expected back soon.
Yet, Klopp recently insisted the club has no plans to bring in any late additions in January, with fans hoping for a surprise deadline day signing set to be left disappointed despite the clear need of investment to improve the squad.
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