Jurgen Klopp says Ibrahima Konate’s injury withdrawal during Liverpool’s 5-1 Europa League win over Sparta Prague was merely a precaution.
The Reds eased to a last 16 first-leg victory in the Czech capital but there were big fears when Konate pulled up at the start of the second half.
Klopp claims the injury is not severe but he is still a little bit unsure about the France international’s availability for the vital top-of-the-table clash against Manchester City on Sunday.
The German coach said “We don’t know yet.
“Ibou said to me when he passed me in that moment, ‘I thought if I do another sprint then it could be bad.’
“He should be fine [to play on Sunday] but we don’t know. Joe Gomez is fine, he has played a lot, the substitution was rotation.
“So let’s see with Ibou. His substitution was precautionary.”
Darwin Nunez was the star of the show in Liverpool’s impressive Prague victory, the Uruguayan striker bagging two more goals.
And the first of them, a right-footed strike from distance, was the 1,000th of Klopp’s Liverpool reign.
The Reds boss was very complimentary about the striker’s form, adding: “He [Nunez] had absolutely more than an OK first season but he had to adapt, that’s done and now he’s settled in the middle of the team.
