Liverpool issues Ibrahima Konate statement after France injury withdrawal

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Liverpool.com or go back to LFC Live.

Liverpool has confirmed that Ibrahima Konate has returned to Merseyside after being forced to withdraw from the France squad due to injury. Liverpool echoed the statement early Saturday morning, which was published on the club's official website: "The Liverpool centre-back missed Les Bleus' win over Azerbaijan on Friday, and it has now been announced that he is not available for their next match in Reykjavik." The news comes after France's team doctors confirmed that the 26-year-old had been dealing with discomfort since joining the squad.

Their statement read: "Injured in the right quadriceps during his last match with Liverpool, Ibrahima Konate has followed a treatment and protocol since his arrival this Monday, but will not be able to take his place against Iceland." France manager Didier Deschamps confirmed that Konate has been released back to his club, and Marseille's Benjamin Pavard has been called up as his replacement. Konate first sustained the injury during Liverpool's 2-1 Premier League defeat to Chelsea in their last outing.

Manager Arne Slot described the issue as "a potential quad concern" but added that the club believed it was "caught early enough." Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk look during a game (Image: Robin Jones/Getty Images) The defender missed training the following Tuesday and was said to still be "feeling his quad a little bit," prompting further evaluation before he joined up with France. Konate has started every game for Liverpool this season across all competitions.