The French media were notably critical of the performance of Ibrahima Konate in the UEFA Nations League match against Italy.
The international break presents a significant challenge for every Premier League manager.
As Arne Slot saw his Liverpool players depart for their national teams, his primary concern was that they return in good physical condition.
But Slot had another worry on his mind, particularly regarding Konate.
The Liverpool defender entered the international break having recently reclaimed his starting spot in the first team after a difficult year marked by fitness issues and limited playing time, which had seen him fall behind Jarell Quansah in the pecking order.
This slump contributed to Konate not making an appearance for France at the recent European Championships, where Didier Deschamps’ team was eliminated by Spain in the semi-finals.
However, Konate seized the opportunity to restore his international reputation with a strong performance against Ipswich Town in Liverpool’s opening Premier League match of the season, where he replaced Quansah at halftime.
Unfortunately, Konate’s international return did not go as hoped.
Despite France taking an early lead just 13 seconds into their UEFA Nations League match against Italy in Paris, they suffered a 3-1 defeat – their first loss to Italy in the capital in 70 years.
French media were critical of Konate’s performance, attributing at least two of Italy’s goals to mistakes made by the Liverpool defender.
Le Parisien rated the Liverpool defender as just a three out of 10, saying it was a “really insufficient performance” and that Konate “weakened the defence through very approximate positioning”.
And Maxifoot was similarly not impressed by the centre-back, saying he “put in a disappointing performance” and was late to react to the first two Italy goals.
In contrast, Quansah delivered a solid performance for the England Under-21s in their frustrating goalless draw against Northern Ireland.
This result leaves Ukraine two points ahead of the Young Lions at the top of their UEFA U21 European Championship qualifying group, with a game in hand.
Having been benched for the last two Premier League games, Quansah will look to earn more playing time when England U21s face Austria in a friendly at Luton Town on Monday.
Meanwhile, France faces another challenging UEFA Nations League match against Belgium in Lyon on Monday night.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had previously expressed concern over France’s heavy reliance on Konaté during international breaks, particularly due to fitness issues.
This concern led to Ibrahima Konate starting just once after three France call-ups in the first half of the season.
Slot will likely hope that the 25-year-old is given an immediate opportunity to rectify his performance against Italy.
Konate’s early-season momentum should not be allowed to dwindle for too long.
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