Ibrahima Konate ban threat looms as Arne Slot faces big decision for Leeds game

Ibrahima Konate is one yellow card away from a Premier League suspension that would see him miss Liverpool's match against Fulham if he is booked in Thursday's New Year's Day clash with Leeds United

Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)

Ibrahima Konate is treading on thin ice ahead of Liverpool's New Year's Day showdown with Leeds United at Anfield on Thursday.

Consecutive bookings in recent matches against Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur have put Konate one yellow card away from an automatic one-match suspension, having already received four in the Premier League this season.

However, if the Reds center-back can avoid a booking in the next match, he'll dodge the immediate threat of a ban due to the cumulative procedure. Players who rack up five bookings within the first 19 Premier League games are slapped with a one-match suspension.

The penalty then escalates to a two-match ban for those who reach 10 bookings within 32 games, and a three-game suspension for amassing 15 at any point during the season.

If Konate picks up a booking in Liverpool's 19th Premier League game of the season against Leeds, he would be sidelined for next Sunday's trip to Fulham.

This could leave Reds boss Arne Slot with a potential dilemma at centre-back, given the uncertainty surrounding Joe Gomez's fitness, Wataru Endo's absence, and Giovanni Leoni being ruled out for the season.

Conor Bradley and Dominik Szoboszlai have each already served a one-match suspension for reaching five bookings, with the latter missing Saturday's 2-1 home victory over Wolves as a result, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Bradley, along with Curtis Jones, is also teetering on the edge of a Champions League suspension, having been booked twice in the first six games of the league stage of the competition.

UEFA regulations stipulate that three bookings, and every second booking thereafter - namely the fifth, seventh, ninth and so forth - will lead to a one-match ban.

The yellow card amnesty only comes into effect after the completion of the quarter-finals. This means that Bradley and Jones could potentially face another eight matches - the remaining two group games, as well as both legs of potential play-off, round of 16 and quarter-final encounters - before their bookings cease to be counted.

Meanwhile, Konate has sent a touching message after Diogo Jota's children featured as mascots for the win over Wolves on Saturday.

He posted: "It was much more than just a match. If there is one game I would never have wanted to miss this season, it was this one.

"Diogo, we know we will never be able to step onto a football pitch with you again, my brother. But yesterday, it felt like we did. A part of you was with us, walking beside us before the match.

"What a pleasure... and at the same time, what pain. Seeing your family smiling, seeing your kids walk out, brought so much warmth to my heart.

"I gave everything, and I’m proud we won our fourth game in a row. I’m happy the last few games have been better, and Inshallah we will kick on in 2026... and remember, enjoy every moment of this life. Forever 20."