Liverpool get major injury boost as Jurgen Klopp confirms likely return for Man Utd

Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Ibrahima Konate could return for Liverpool’s FA Cup quarter-final trip to Manchester United next weekend.

The Frenchman was forced off just after half-time with a muscle injury in the Reds’ 5-1 win over Sparta Prague on Thursday, with the issue ruling him out of Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Man City. And while he is set to miss the Europa League round-of-16 second leg against the Czech outfit in midweek, Klopp is confident the centre-back will return for the trip to Old Trafford.

“Ibou has a chance for United,” the German said. “A good chance. Our injury situation is still awful.

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“There are many players not available, it is crazy. If we were to play only the players who were not available today, that would have been a good team as one.”

Liverpool remained second in the table courtesy of dropping points to City, having previously been top since Boxing Day, as Arsenal overtook them on goal difference. But pleased with his side’s performance, Klopp was adamant his side could go all the way in the title-race - providing their injury woes start to ease up.

“Yeah (we can go the distance in the title-race) but we need the players back,” he said. “Today, and I love all the stories we created with the kids. Wonderful, couldn’t be happier.

“But we fight for the biggest prize in football. Ibou Konate is out, we start all three other centre halves. One goes down, we play the next two games in six days with two centre-halves, who play all the time.

“All these things are really tricky. But we come through it. We played really good football in that, lucky