'I still have pain': £35m Liverpool star admits he's been playing with an injury for weeks

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Ibrahima Konate has been one of Liverpool’s most important players this season alongside centre-back partner Virgil van Dijk.

The French international has come into his own under Arne Slot with Liverpool having one of the best defences in Europe this season, with Konate’s form a key reason behind the Reds being as good as they have been this campaign.

Despite the defender’s impressive form, the former RB Leipzig star’s fitness has been a cause for concern this term, with Konate recently revealing that he isn’t 100% fit yet having suffered an injury earlier on this season.

And the Liverpool centre-back has now added to his previous comments which have seemingly only made the situation worse.

Konate reveals he’s playing with ‘pain’ from previous injury

Speaking to the press ahead of tomorrow’s UEFA Champions League tie against LOSC Lille, the £35m signing from Leipzig shared that he’s still playing with pain, with Konate saying he rushed his recovery to be there for the team.

With Joe Gomez out injured for Liverpool, Konate’s eagerness to return can be somewhat justified given how short the Reds are when it comes to quality first-team centre-back options, with Slot yet to be convinced by Jarell Quansah this season.

And this seemingly led to Koante returning to injury early, with the defender saying: “I tried to come back 100% fit, but I’m not because I rushed [rehab] with my knee, but I will do this for my team, and if I can play for my team, then I know I will be back to 100% soon.

“I still have pain, but I play with painkillers, so it’s enough for me to play. I don’t have to think about it [being a long-term problem], because the pain will just go away eventually.”

Konate has made a rash and immature decision

Player well-being has never been more important at the highest level, with some top names in the game playing as many as 70 games a season for club and country with only a handful of weeks off throughout the year.

And for Konate to admit that he rushed his rehab to return for Liverpool is nothing short of rash and immature, with the decision potentially having long-term consequences for the France international if he isn’t careful.

Indeed, the amount of games the likes of Konate are now forced to play is nothing short of absurd, yet the defender isn’t helping the cause by putting his body on the line for his team even if he thinks his intentions are well-natured.