Arne Slot was speaking after Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Anfield
Arne Slot has admitted that Ibrahima Konate is unlikely to start against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday after making his injury return for Liverpool against Manchester United. The Frenchman had been sidelined for the Reds since suffering a knee injury against Real Madrid at the end of November.
However, after losing Joe Gomez to a hamstring injury in their last outing against West Ham United, the centre-back made a timely return to partner Virgil van Dijk as Liverpool fought out a 2-2 draw with the Red Devils.
Konate had only returned to training on Friday, but impressed as he completed the full 90 minutes at Anfield.
And explaining his decision to throw the defender straight back into his starting XI, Slot insisted that Konate is fit enough to play for 90 minutes - but not to play two games in a week after a lengthy lay-off.
“Because he was fit. If he wouldn’t (feel okay), we wouldn’t have started him,” he said. “Then he doesn’t train with us. The moment he starts to train with the team, he is fit again.
“And it’s not to say he can immediately play two games in a week, but he can definitely play 90 minutes like he showed today.
“And like you saw, except the first game when I chose Quansah, all the other games, when Ibou was fit, he started. The moment he is fit, he can start.
“But if you’ve been out for such a long time, it is difficult to immediately play two games a week. So it will not come as a surprise if he does not play on Wednesday.
“He played today for 90 minutes and I think he showed in that 90 minutes he was ready to play.”