Ibrahima Konate's New Rule At Liverpool Revealed
Ibrahima Konate has excelled in Arne Slot‘s system so far this season since the Dutchman replaced Jurgen Klopp in the summer.
Konate was a mainstay in Klopp's defence and started alongside skipper Virgil van Dijk for most of the last term.
However, in the second half of the campaign, the 25-year-old lost his position to academy graduate Jarell Quansah.
The Frenchman didn't make it off the bench in any of Liverpool's final four games and was dropped seven times from Liverpool's last 10 league games as they finished third.
He was named in France's squad for Euro 2024, however, he did not see a single minute of action at the tournament as they exited in the semi-finals.
Konate started the season on the bench against Ipswich Town but since his second-half introduction, he has featured in all 11 league games for the Reds.
He has started 14 of Liverpool’s 17 games, and against Aston Villa, he helped Slot's side keep their ninth clean sheet of the campaign.
Konate has been rock solid this term due to a rule change set up by Slot.
According to Anfield Watch, "Klopp continued to allow Konate to travel back to Paris to see friends and family during the midweek, even when he wasn’t injured during the German's tenure at Liverpool.
"Slot and fitness coach Conall Murtagh have now ordered Konate to put a stop this, which has led him to be healthier and fitter than ever as he isn’t constantly travelling, which could have led to his being fatigued."
Konate missed 37 games under Klopp from 2022 to 2024 due to injuries, however, under Slot, he is yet to miss a game through injury.
Throughout his senior career, Konate has never started a season with 11 consecutive starts in the league.
Liverpool head into the November international break top of both the league and Champions League.
LFC Transfer Room Football Correspondent. Covered the fortunes of Liverpool for the past three years. Follow Joseph on X (formerly Twitter) @joseph_agbobli