Fresh injury blow for Liverpool! Konate could miss Real Madrid clash with hamstring problem

Liverpool have been dealt a fresh injury blow with defender Ibrahima Konate set to miss up to three weeks with a hamstring issue.

Centre-back suffered issue in defeat to Brighton
Will definitely miss games with Wolves & Everton
Real Madrid last-16 first leg is on February 21

WHAT HAPPENED? The French international picked up the injury during the 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Brighton on Sunday. Konate will definitely miss Liverpool's upcoming Premier League games against Wolves and Everton, and now faces a race against time to be fit for the Reds' Champions League last-16 first leg tie against Real Madrid on February 21.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Konate joins an injury list that already features key players in Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino and Virgil van Dijk, as well as on-loan midfielder Arthur Melo. Diaz is out until March with a knee injury, but Firmino, Van Dijk and Jota may all return to training within the next fortnight, and Jurgen Klopp hopes to have Arthur available by the end of February too.

AND WHAT'S MORE: Konate's injury casts doubt over the future of Nat Phillips, who had been hoping to leave the club before the end of the transfer window. Galatasaray, Schalke and Stuttgart are among the clubs keen to sign the 25-year-old, but Liverpool would now prefer to retain Phillips as cover, with only Joe Gomez and Joel Matip currently available as recognised senior centre-backs. The Reds have also recalled youngsters Rhys Williams and Billy Koumetio from loan spells at Blackpool and Austria Vienna respectively.

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