Liverpool are facing a mounting injury crisis ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Man City (Picture: Getty)
Liverpool are sweating on the fitness of Ibrahima Konate ahead of Sunday’s heavyweight Premier League showdown against Manchester City.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are already set to be without defensive mainstays Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joel Matip who both missed the midweek Champions League victory over Rangers.
Konate, who enjoyed an impressive first season at Anfield following his move from RB Leipzig, made his first start of the campaign at Ibrox as Liverpool romped to a confidence boosting 7-1 victory.
The France international, however, according to The Athletic, picked up a muscle injury against the Scottish side and is unlikely to be risked against the champions.
Liverpool are already 13 points behind City and face the daunting task of attempting to tame in-form Erling Haaland who has already scored 20 goals in all competitions since his summer move from Borussia Dortmund.
“’You have the best team in the world and you put in the best striker on the market — no matter what it costs, you just do it,’ said Klopp on the challenge of attempting to compete with Pep Guardiola’s relentless winning machine.
‘I know City will not like it, nobody will like it, you’ve asked the question but you know the answer.
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‘What does Liverpool do? We cannot act like them. It is not possible. Not possible. It is just clear.’
Reffering to City, Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain, all club’s owned or part-owned by Gulf states, Klopp added: ‘There are three clubs in world football who can do what they want financially. It’s legal and everything, fine, but they can do what they want.
‘We have to look at it [and say], ‘We need that and we need that and we have to look here and make it younger, and here a prospect and here’s a talent,’ and that is what you have to do. And you compete with them.
‘It is not a problem at all for me, it’s like it is. Don’t ask me that question because you always open this discussion and it’s me telling you.
‘But you all know it, you should know. It is not possible to deal with that.’
MORE : Liverpool vs Manchester City: Start time, team news and how to watch on TV and live stream
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The Reds are already without Joel Matip and Trent Alexander-Arnold.