A total of 10 Liverpool players will be involved at Euro 2024, and one of them has been the subject of reports which’ll delight Reds fans.
According to Le Parisien, Ibrahima Konate is likely to start ahead of Arsenal’s William Saliba for France in their first match of the tournament against Austria next Monday, with the 25-year-old set to partner Dayot Upamecano at centre-back.
In an article predicting the composition of Didier Deschamps’ starting line-up for that fixture, it’s claimed that the Reds colossus and the Bayern Munich man ‘will constitute the defensive base’ for Les Bleus when they begin their quest for European glory in Dusseldorf.
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As if Konate being set to start for France wasn’t pleasing enough for Liverpool fans, some Reds may derive extra satisfaction from him keeping Saliba out of the starting XI, given the latter’s presence for one of our main Premier League rivals.
Admittedly our number 5 didn’t have the most convincing finish to the club season, but he’s been a regular starter for Les Bleus over the past two years, which is no mean feat when you consider the incredible squad depth at Deschamps’ disposal.
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The 25-year-old – who was dubbed ‘outstanding’ by Rory Smith on BBC Radio 5 Live earlier this year – has also shown that he can impress for his nation on the big stage, having played in five matches at the 2022 World Cup, including the epic final against Argentina.
Konate actually partnered Saliba for the final half-hour of the tepid friendly draw against Canada on Sunday, but it seems that he’ll get the nod ahead of the Arsenal man when France commence their Euro 2024 campaign.
Let’s hope that Ibou can go on to play a starring role for his country over the next few weeks and that he’ll justify his probable selection by Deschamps.
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