Liverpool injury news: Arne Slot rings “alarm bells” on Ibrahima Konate as Chelsea defeat dents Premier League hopes

Arne Slot has confirmed that Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate was taken off against Chelsea due to an injury.

The Reds suffered a third consecutive defeat on Saturday afternoon, losing 2-1 against the Blues at Stamford Bridge, and the loss means they head into the international break in second place.

Perhaps more concerning for supporters than the loss will be the injury suffered by Konate, who was taken off just before the hour mark, with Ryan Gravenberch subsequently dropping into the backline.

Speaking to reporters after the match in London, Slot revealed that he did not know the extent of his injury, but he hoped that he was taken off just in time to avoid a serious setback, saying: "I don’t know if it is a big injury, but what I do know is he limped a little bit and when I asked him he said he felt his quad a little bit."

"Then, for me, all alarm bells go off because in another sprint you never know if that is going to go good. It was also already a substitution I had in mind, maybe for a few minutes or a little bit later, because the right centre-back had a lot of ball possession and we needed to create from that position.

"We all know Ryan [Gravenberch] is quite good in that. It might be OK that he went off early enough but it was clear I had to take him off because he was limping."

Konate has suffered a number of injuries during his Liverpool career, and a potentially lengthy absence could have drastic consequences on the squad given fellow centre-back Giovanni Leoni has already been ruled out for the rest of the season.

What games could Konate miss for Liverpool?

Liverpool are fortunate that the October international break will mean that Konate will miss fewer games than would have been the case if domestic football were to continue.

The club's next match is at home against rivals Manchester United on October 19, before they then face Eintracht Frankfurt on October 22 in the Champions League in Germany.

If Konate has avoided a serious injury, then there is a chance that he could be ready to play within one to two weeks, though a partial tear of the muscle may see him sidelined for three to six weeks.

A complete tear of the quadriceps could involve surgery and months on the treatment table, though Slot will hope his early substitution has prevented such a scenario from arising.

Premier League title race: How concerned should Arne Slot be?

Slot has often looked to use Gravenberch as an auxiliary centre-back when his side is behind or looking to turn a draw into a win, and while using the midfielder in defence can be seen as a brave approach, it is concerning that the boss has often had to resort to such a tactic.

Konate was vital to the team's Premier League title win last term, but without the passing qualities of Trent Alexander-Arnold next to him at right-back, he has struggled to play out from defence.

The form of attackers like Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo has dipped, and they will continue to struggle unless teammates in deeper areas of the pitch can progress the ball to them.

However, Liverpool are only one point behind Arsenal, so while Slot has plenty to address, it is important that he does not panic and make rash decisions.