Speaking following Liverpool’s convincing 5-1 win against Toulouse FC in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, Jürgen Klopp defended Ibrahima Konaté’s(24) absence while also criticizing Didier Deschamps, the manager of France, for how he handled the center defender.
On Thursday night at Anfield, Liverpool easily defeated Le TéFéCé, negating the impact of Konaté’s absence. After Thijs Dallinga cancelled out Diogo Jota’s opening goal in the first half, the Merseyside club had a little fright. However, Liverpool went on to score four goals without answering to secure top position in their Europa League group and hand Toulouse their first loss.
Speaking to French media, Klopp then provided an explanation for Konaté’s absence, highlighting the central defender’s significant contribution to France’s victory against the Netherlands and Scotland during the most recent international break. “He didn’t come on tonight. Not even on the squad, he is. I adore everything about Ibou, but we’ve taken advantage of this opportunity to give him a little break since he occasionally gets injured. Monsieur Deschamps gave Ibou 90 and 87 minutes of playing time in the two games. “Obviously, he could have played tonight, but he needs to play again on Sunday,” Klopp said in an RMC Sport post-match interview.
“Ibou was instructed to inform Monsieur Deschamps on how a player should be rested, he said. Not thirty minutes just. However, we couldn’t be happier with Ibou. He’s a great player and a kind child, and France is lucky to have him.”
Liverpool’s Premier League matchup against Nottingham Forest is on Sunday, then on Wednesday night they play Bournemouth in the EFL Cup.