Liverpool’s medical staff could be forgiven for watching yesterday’s international matches from behind their respective sofas.
At such a crucial stage of the season, the Reds cannot afford to pick up any more injuries. With a bunch of needless friendlies being played – and so many Liverpool players involved – it felt inevitable that someone would be struck down.
Prior to the games, the most likely candidate for that had felt to be Ibrahima Konate. Despite only returning from injury in the past few days, Konate started France’s match against Chile. Jurgen Klopp must have been furious.
As it turned out, Konate was fine. Andy Robertson was instead the unlucky soul to pick up the dreaded international injury curse. Again. Ibou actually played the full 90 minutes alongside Arsenal’s William Saliba, a man he’s very often compared against.
Ibrahima Konate vs William Saliba
With both Konate and Saliba playing for teams at the top of the Premier League table, a comparison between them is natural.
Liverpool fans will tell you – rightly – that Konate is the better of the two. Meanwhile, Arsenal fans will – incorrectly – push Saliba as the number one.
So far for the national team, coach Didier Deschamps has favoured the view of Liverpool supporters. And given some footage seen of the two players coming up against each other in France training last week, you can see why.
But last night, Deschamps opted to pair them together. And according to French journalist Julien Laurens, there was a clear victor in the battle between Konate and Saliba.
Julien Laurens names France star centre-back
Speaking on ESPN FC following France’s 3-2 win over Chile, Laurens declared Saliba to have been the most impressive of Les Blues centre-backs.
Deschamps chose to use four different central defenders across his team’s two games, and Laurens actually thinks Saliba was the outstanding player of that quartet.
“I think he did really well tonight to show Deschamps that there’s certainly more to come and better to come,” raved the journalist.
“He’s still a young player but already for me, obviously Chile are not as strong but, of the four centre-backs [used by France across the two games] he was the best one of the four.”
With work to do to force his way into France’s best XI, Saliba needed a good display. Konate meanwhile has nothing left to prove. We’ll let him have this one.
For now, it’s back to club football where these two look set to tussle each other for the Premier League title. The Arsenal man may have won this battle, but let’s hope Ibou wins the war.