Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate was taken off at half-time as France were beaten 2-0 by Croatia, sparking fears that he had suffered an injury and Didier Deschamps has now explained the substitution
France boss Didier Deschamps has cleared up injury concerns over Ibrahima Konate after the Liverpool defender was substituted at half-time during the first leg of their Nations League quarter-final clash with Croatia.
The 25-year-old started the game alongside Arsenal star William Saliba, but he was replaced at half-time by Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano in a move that sparked concern that Konate had picked up a know, with France’s social media accounts stating that he had been “injured”.
However, Deschamps has now confirmed that the change was purely a tactical one as he felt Konate was “struggling” during the game. “I know it’s tough, but I saw him struggling, not at his best, so I preferred to substitute him,” Deschamps explained.
Konate had given away an early penalty for handball and, although goalkeeper Mike Maignan saved Andrej Kramaric’s spot kick, France did lose the game 2-0 thanks to goals from Ante Budimir and Ivan Perisic.
Although Konate may not be injured, Liverpool have suffered some blows during the international break. Midfielder Ryan Gravenberch pulled out of the Netherlands squad through injury and has returned to Merseyside for further assessment.
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In a statement, the Netherlands said: “Ryan Gravenberch has left the Oranje’s training camp this evening. The midfielder is still suffering from an injury sustained over the weekend that prevents him from playing in the matches against Spain.”
Goalkeeper Alisson was also forced off in Brazil’s 2-1 win over Colombia after suffering a suspected concussion. “Alisson suffered a head injury,” Brazil’s team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said after the game.
“He was replaced due to a suspected concussion, so now we will follow the protocol recommended by the CBF. He will undergo the recommended imaging tests. First, we will perform a CT scan, followed by a diffusion MRI.
“If all the tests are negative and normal, we will then perform a cognitive test, and then we will evaluate the player. If everything is normal, we will conduct a series of observation tests over the next few days to see whether or not he would be able to travel with us and go to Argentina for our next game.
“Today, the first step is to perform the necessary tests and assessments and monitor the player over the next few days, which is the protocol. Alisson is normal. I believe you saw the images of him on the bench and after the game.
“He is completely normal now, without any complaints. During the treatment on the field, he did not report any fainting or memory loss, he was conscious and oriented the whole time.
“We substituted him because he had minor complaints, he thought he was a little slower and there was some possibility of a concussion, so in cases of this suspicion, the recommendation is to substitute the player.”
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