Jürgen Klopp may opt for Ibrahima Konaté against Leeds, but dropping Joël Matip isn't the answer

Jürgen Klopp may opt for Ibrahima Konaté against Leeds, but dropping Joël Matip isn't the answer

Liverpool Echo Sports·2021-09-11 06:00

Ibrahima Konaté has had to bide his time since arriving from RB Leipzig at the beginning of the summer transfer window.The £36m signing hasnt kicked a ball for Liverpool in an official game as of yet, with Konaté being left on the sidelines for the opening three games of the Premier League season.Virgil van Dijk has returned and, as expected, taken his place at the heart of Jürgen Klopps defence. Many thought that Konaté would be his partner, given the outlay spent on taking the player to Anfield.But in the early going, Joêl Matip has started alongside Van Dijk, and the pair have looked remarkably solid, which is a tad surprising given that both are just coming back from lengthy injury layoffs.Read MoreRelated ArticlesRead MoreRelated ArticlesMatip and Van Dijk took turns in handling Chelseas Romelu Lukaku during the last Premier League game before the international break with the Belgian hardly getting a kick and the pair have formed a good understanding. Yet The Mirror is reporting that with the return of club football, Klopp is considering dropping Matip and handing Konaté his first start of the season against Leeds United.Whilst fans are excited at the potential of finally getting to see Konaté play in a competitive game, is it a logical move by Klopp? Shouldnt he keep faith in Matip?With the games now beginning to come thick and fast over the next month, perhaps Klopp is being mindful of squad rotation, and not wanting to burn out Matip and van Dijk so quickly.Liverpool will play every three or four days from now until the beginning of October, seven games in total, and therefore its logical that Klopp will be inclined to rotate his squad in order to keep players healthy.After the clash with Leeds, Liverpool welcome Milan to Anfield in the Champions League. It could be argued that Klopp is willing to rest Matip with one eye looking ahead to the Rossoneri. Liverpool drew one of the tougher groups out of the English sides in the competition this season, and whilst they should qualify, they know they cant afford to drop points early on.But by the same token, perhaps it should be Van Dijk who should be rested against Leeds, rather than Matip, considering the gravity of his injury.Moreover, Van Dijk sustained a minor knock to his ankle in the dying embers of The Netherlands 6-1 victory against Turkey during the latest round of World Cup qualifiers, but maintained that he is already over it.Read MoreRelated ArticlesRead MoreRelated ArticlesBringing in Konaté for the Dutchman would make more sense than Matip, with the Cameroonian rejecting multiple call-ups to play for his country. Matip last featured for Cameroon in 2015, and so undoubtedly is fresher than Van Dijk heading into the Leeds game; the Netherlands captain played two of his country's three qualifying games over the break.Klopp will have to rotate his squad during this congested period, thats obvious, but making the right decisions is the key. Van Dijk shouldnt be overburdened with games this early on in the season following his comeback from injury, whilst Matip should be kept in the starting XI due to his form and lack of international football since the break.A Matip-Konaté partnership against Leeds would be the most logical choice, with Van Dijk then being restored ahead of the game against Milan mid-week.Whoever Klopp decides to start against Marcelo Bielsa's men will likely give some indication to his thinking ahead of the game against Milan, but expect changes.Read MoreRelated ArticlesRead MoreRelated Articles

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