Liverpool boss Arne Slot has confirmed that Ibrahima Konate was withdrawn due to a quadriceps injury during the Reds’ 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The French defender limped off after 56 minutes, prompting immediate concern over the club’s already thin defensive options.

Konate’s substitution saw Ryan Gravenberch drop into central defence alongside Virgil van Dijk, as Curtis Jones came off the bench.

Slot admitted that while the change was partly tactical, Konate’s condition forced his hand.

“Alarm bells go off” — Slot

Speaking after the match, Slot said he acted quickly once he saw the defender in visible discomfort.

“I don’t know if it is a big injury, but he limped a little bit and said he felt his quad,” Slot explained.

“Then for me, all alarm bells go off because in another sprint, you never know if that is going to go good.”

The Dutchman added that he had already planned a similar substitution but decided not to risk worsening the injury.

“It might be ok that he went off early enough, but it was clear I had to take him off because he was limping,” he added.

Liverpool have since confirmed that Konate will undergo further assessment to determine the extent of the problem.