Ibrahima Konate injury latest and timescale for Liverpool return ahead of Newcastle clash

Latest Liverpool injury news as Ibrahima Konate's injury causes concern for Arne Slot ahead of a busy December

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate will miss this evening's Premier League trip to Newcastle United and Saturday's Merseyside derby with Everton.

The colossal centre-back sustained a knee injury in the Champions League win over Real Madrid a week ago. He fell awkwardly after being caught by a heavy challenge from Endrick.

After undergoing scans to discover the extent of the damage, it was confirmed he would face a period on the sidelines. He missed Sunday's 2-0 win over Manchester City, although he was spotted on crutches at Anfield.

Joe Gomez came into the defence alongside Virgil van Dijk at the weekend and is expected to retain his spot for tonight. However, anxiety will be building over the duration of Konate's absence after his superb start to the season.

Here, we take a closer look inside the treatment room at Anfield and the latest with regards to Konate's return:

What injury does Konate have?

Konate is currently out with a knee injury. According to transfermarkt's records of the defender's injury history, he last suffered a similar problem in August 2022.

That injury kept him out for 55 days, seeing him miss the start of the new season.

What has Slot said?

Following the win over Man City, Slot confirmed that Konate would miss the next two matches (against Newcastle and Everton), at least. "Today I only had five defenders available," he said. "They will both (Konate and Conor Bradley) be out for a few weeks.

"I have said many times before, it is always difficult to judge how many weeks this exactly is because you can think in the beginning, ‘oh, probably going to be like this,’ and the end stage of an injury process can always differ a bit.

“But they will not be in the team this week for sure, both of them. And actually I don’t think Kostas will be with us in the upcoming week as well.”

What has Konate said?

In the aftermath of the win over Real Madrid, Konate hinted that he faces an extended period on the sidelines. He said: "So frustrating to pick up this injury right at the end of a great game on Wednesday night.

"Now we start the recovery process but one thing I promise is I will come back and be the best I can be once again. Thank you for the amazing support at Anfield. Inshallah we will keep going and I will support the team every step of the way."

When could Konate return?

It's currently unknown when Konate will return. Slot's comments that he will miss the next two games mean he could be in contention to feature against Girona in the Champions League on December 10 or Premier League clash with Fulham the following Saturday.