The international break is perhaps the thing Jurgen Klopp will miss the least about being Liverpool manager.
Klopp has railed against the timing of such pauses in the season plenty of times in the past. And when it’s a break to schedule in meaningless friendlies, the Reds boss must be tearing at his hair.
That’s exactly where we are right now, with the end of March the traditional slot for the final interruption of the campaign. This year, it marks the final one Jurgen will have to endure at Anfield.
It somehow feels fitting then, that one his national team peers is about to do something that could well and truly cause Klopp to erupt.
Didier Deschamps set to infuriate Klopp
For the life of us, we cannot work out why Ibrahima Konate was called up to the France squad last week.
It has nothing to do with ability, of course. The 24-year-old has been excellent this season and deserves his place in the World Cup runners-up squad.
But the fact remains that Konate had not even returned from injury for Liverpool at the time of his summoning. Having missed the Reds’ last three games with a hamstring injury, the centre-back needs to be treated with caution.
Thankfully, that was exercised at the weekend, with Konate sitting out of France’s loss against Germany on Saturday. However, as per The Daily Mail, Ibou is set to feature in this evening’s friendly with Chile. There’s simply no need.
The Mail suggest that Klopp will be ‘sweating’ over Konate’s inclusion and they’re surely absolutely right.
As Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez showed in the No.5’s absence, Liverpool can make do without Konate. Given his slightly chequered fitness history, the Reds have had to get a little too used to being without him.
But that isn’t the point here. It’s exactly because of that injury record that Liverpool will not thank France for putting their player at risk tonight.
From Didier Deschamps’ point of view, he’s included Konate in the squad, he’s been in full training, so they may as well use him. Liverpool surely won’t see it that way, though.
With the games piling up upon Ibou’s return to Merseyside this weekend, they’re going to need him more than ever. As the sharp end of the season comes into view, Klopp will want all of his best XI available.
There’s nothing to say that Konate won’t come through the game fine, and the extra minutes in his legs could even be helpful. It just seems like an unnecessary risk for a recently injured player though, and we can’t imagine Jurgen’s best pleased. Fingers crossed Ibou manages alright.
