IBRAHIMA KONATE will NOT travel with the Liverpool squad for their Champions League clash with Marseille due to ‘family reasons’.
The Reds face Marseille away from home in a Champions League clash on Wednesday, but the Frenchman will not be travelling for the game.
The 26-year-old defender was notably not among his team-mates in the squad’s training session on Tuesday before departing for the fixture.
According to The Athletic, Konate’s absence was due to him being in France attending to undisclosed “family reasons.”
And the club’s travelling squad announcement quickly confirmed that the defender would also not feature in the matchday squad.
The unexpected absence will be a significant headache for Arne Slot, who is now without one of his most important players.
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Konate has featured in all 28 of Liverpool‘s Champions League and Premier League fixtures this season alongside defensive partner Virgil van Dijk.
His absence could see Slot forced to turn to backup option Joe Gomez, who has played less than 250 minutes in both competitions combined this season.
A win against Roberto De Zerbi‘s Marseille side could push Liverpool as high as third in the Champions League league phase standings.
One name that was confirmed to be travelling was that of Mohamed Salah.
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The Egyptian has returned from his AFCON campaign and has immediately been brought back into the squad.
This inclusion comes despite his standoff with the club hierarchy ahead of his departure for the tournament in December, during which he was dropped from the travelling squad to face Inter Milan in the Champions League.
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