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Liverpool has confirmed that Ibrahima Konate has returned to Merseyside after being forced to withdraw from the France squad due to injury.
On Friday, the French national team announced Konate had suffered a setback with a right quadriceps issue, ruling him out of their upcoming World Cup qualifying match in Reykjavik. He had already missed France's 3-0 win over Azerbaijan earlier in the week, with Arsenal defender William Saliba, who he roasted just days before, stepping in to start in his place.
Outside of Konate, France will also be without top stars Kylian Mbappe, Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, and Rayan Cherki, who also saw a leg injury and was replaced by Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike.
Liverpool echoed the statement early Saturday morning, which was published on the club's official website: "The Liverpool centre-back missed Les Bleus' win over Azerbaijan on Friday, and it has now been announced that he is not available for their next match in Reykjavik."
The news comes after France's team doctors confirmed that the 26-year-old had been dealing with discomfort since joining the squad.
Their statement read: "Injured in the right quadriceps during his last match with Liverpool, Ibrahima Konate has followed a treatment and protocol since his arrival this Monday, but will not be able to take his place against Iceland."
France manager Didier Deschamps confirmed that Konate has been released back to his club, and Marseille's Benjamin Pavard has been called up as his replacement.
Konate first sustained the injury during Liverpool's 2-1 Premier League defeat to Chelsea in their last outing. Moises Caicedo scored early, and Estevao sealed the game for Chelsea in extra time.
Cody Gakpo was the only scorer for the Reds, assisted by a quick pass from new striker Alexander Isak.
Konate was substituted in the 56th minute after appearing to limp while grabbing his thigh.
Manager Arne Slot described the issue as "a potential quad concern" but added that the club believed it was "caught early enough."
The defender missed training the following Tuesday and was said to still be "feeling his quad a little bit," prompting further evaluation before he joined up with France. He went on to feature in two of France's three qualifying matches before being ruled out, starting against Ukraine and Iceland earlier in the campaign.
Konate has started every game for Liverpool this season across all competitions. He anchors the right side of the Reds' defense and forms a consistent pairing with Virgil Van Dijk. His absence creates a notable gap as Liverpool gears up for the upcoming domestic fixtures after the international break.
The Reds are set to play Manchester United on Sunday in the Premier League. They also have upcoming Champions League matches against Eintracht Frankfurt and Real Madrid and a fourth-round EFL Cup game against Crystal Palace.
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