Ibrahima Konate has confessed that he is still not 100% fit after making his return from a knee injury earlier this year.
The Liverpool defender featured in the Reds’ 2-2 draw with Manchester United, starting alongside Virgil van Dijk, following the injury setback of Joe Gomez, who suffered a hamstring injury the week before.
Konate had been sidelined since Liverpool’s win over Real Madrid at the end of November.
Despite his return, Liverpool are continuing to manage the Frenchman carefully. In recent weeks, Wataru Endo was deployed at centre-back in place of the ill Jarell Quansah during the first half of last week’s match against Tottenham Hotspur.
Konate was also absent from the matchday squad for Saturday’s FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley.
Having come on as an 80th-minute substitute in the Spurs game, the 25-year-old is now in line for a potential start alongside Van Dijk in Liverpool’s upcoming Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night.
Ibrahima Konate admitted that he pushed himself harder to return sooner, motivated by the injury to Gomez.
“I feel good, not 100 per cent, but I just worked on it to come back and to fix my knee because I knew a great game was coming,” he admitted.
“And when I saw the injury of Joe Gomez – I hope he will come back very quick because he’s a very important player for us – I just tried to do everything to come back quicker.
“The game was so important and I wanted to play against Man United. Now we are here to come back 100 per cent.
“I think the manager trusts me because I was injured for six weeks, I trained just one time with the team and I played. I think because we know how to defend together and how to play, I was not lost on the pitch.
“I just need more rhythm. I think the mentality in our squad is really together and we just have to keep going this season.”
Read more: Arsenal beat Liverpool and Manchester City to the signing of Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi
