Games Ibrahima Konate could miss through injury

The France international is understood to have sustained a hamstring issue during the Reds' 2-1 FA Cup fourth-round loss to Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend, and he joins a well-occupied Anfield treatment room.

Konate is expected to face up to three weeks on the sidelines, which is set to rule the 23-year-old out of a number of key domestic and continental fixtures in February.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at which games Konate is set to sit out through injury in the coming weeks.

Having already experienced a disrupted season with a knee injury sustained in a pre-season friendly defeat to Strasbourg, Konate has been restricted to just 10 appearances in all tournaments this term.

The former RB Leipzig man had played the full 90 in each of Liverpool's last three Premier League fixtures, though, and his absence will be well and truly felt in the backline.

Konate also started both of Liverpool's FA Cup contests with Wolverhampton Wanderers, whom the Reds will firstly take on without the Frenchman's services this Saturday afternoon.

Klopp's under-performing crop then have a nine-day period of rest and recuperation before hosting Everton in a Merseyside derby on February 13, which Konate will be forced to sit out too.

While Liverpool may not be fearing for their defence too much against the 19th-placed Toffees, a Champions League-chasing Newcastle United side are next up for the Reds on February 18.

Barring a miraculous recovery, Konate will watch on from the sidelines at St James' Park, but the big one arrives just three days later as Real Madrid visit Anfield for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

It is not impossible to imagine Konate rushing himself back for the visit of Los Blancos, in a repeat of the 2021-22 final, but the trip to Crystal Palace on February 25 can be considered a more realistic comeback date.

However, any unforeseen setbacks could delay Konate's return further, which would not be music to the ears of Liverpool fans ahead of Manchester United's trip to Anfield on March 5.

With Virgil van Dijk also expected to remain out for another few weeks with his hamstring issue, the bulk of the defensive responsibility will fall onto the shoulders of Joe Gomez and Joel Matip for the time being.

Rhys Williams has also been recalled from his Blackpool loan spell, while Nat Phillips was blocked from leaving on deadline day amid the Reds' injury crisis, and the pair will no doubt remain on standby should they need to replicate their successful feats of the 2020-21 season.