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Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate admits he still has a contract issue to resolve but is demonstrating his commitment to the club by making the sacrifice of playing through pain to keep the team competing on four fronts.
The France international’s deal expires at the end of next season so is not as pressing as the likes of fellow defenders Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold and forward Mohamed Salah, who have all entered the final five months of their existing agreements.
Negotiations to get them to stay have to take priority but the future of the 25-year-old Konate, first-choice partner for Van Dijk, cannot be ignored for too long.
After confirming he had been offered a new contract, Konate was asked when he would be signing it. “This is another conversation,” he told a press conference ahead of the Champions League visit of Lille.
“Who talked about that a few months ago (November)? The club didn’t say anything, I didn’t say anything, it’s one person (journalist) that says that.
“I was not ready, I didn’t know when he said that but after I spoke with the club. But after, I’m really focused on what happened now and we’ll see what will happen.”
In the meantime the Frenchman revealed he rushed himself back from a knee injury this month when Joe Gomez was ruled out for several weeks with a hamstring problem, even though he has to play with the aid of painkillers.
Konate injured a knee in the victory over Real Madrid at the end of November but, when Gomez limped off against West Ham on December 29, Konate was put straight back in the starting line-up for the next match against Manchester United.
“For me, I try to come back 100 per cent but I’m not because I rushed my comeback with my knee but I have done this for my team,” he added.
“I still have pain sometimes. I play with painkillers, it’s enough. I don’t have to think about that (worrying) I just have to think about if we play and this will go away soon.
“I was very close anyway. The plan was for me to train on that week but when I saw Joe with this injury, I thought, ‘OK I have to come back really quick’ and don’t really think about my knee.
“The first game (against United) for sure I felt it a little bit but the pain got better day after day, it’s fine, it’s enough for me to play.
“The physios and medical staff have done a very good job for me. They never take a risk with me, it was very me who was ready.”
With Liverpool having a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League, on the verge of securing top spot in the Champions League, through to the fourth round of the FA Cup and with a 1-0 Carabao Cup semi-final deficit to Tottenham to turn around in the second leg, there is plenty of incentive for players to go the extra mile.
“I would not be surprised if someone (else) did that because everyone wants to fight for this club and fans and at the end if we reach something nice we will be happy because we have done the sacrifice,” he added.
