Liverpool Manager Hoping Konate Avoided Serious Arm Injury

Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool reacts after picking up an injury during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool FC and Brighton & Hove Albion, in Newcastle, Britain, 02 November 2024. EPA/PETER POWELL
Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool reacts after picking up an injury during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool FC and Brighton & Hove Albion, in Newcastle, Britain, 02 November 2024. EPA/PETER POWELL
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Liverpool Manager Hoping Konate Avoided Serious Arm Injury

Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool reacts after picking up an injury during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool FC and Brighton & Hove Albion, in Newcastle, Britain, 02 November 2024. EPA/PETER POWELL
Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool reacts after picking up an injury during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool FC and Brighton & Hove Albion, in Newcastle, Britain, 02 November 2024. EPA/PETER POWELL

Liverpool manager Arne Slot was hopeful that center back Ibrahima Konate avoided a serious injury despite being in “a lot of pain” when he came off at halftime of Saturday's 2-1 win over Brighton with an apparent arm injury.
Konate walked off the field grimacing in pain and using his shirt as a makeshift sling for his left arm after teammate Virgil van Dijk seemed to accidentally step on his forearm after a corner, The Associated Press reported.
Slot said it was too early to assess the severity of the injury but was hoping the defender would not need a lengthy layoff.
“We don’t know yet. He had a lot of pain, but he hasn’t been to the hospital yet, and maybe it is not even necessary to go to the hospital, I don’t know," Slot said at his post-game news conference. “It is always difficult to judge an injury in the first hour or first 10 minutes after it happens. Let’s hope he can be with us as soon as possible because he had a big impact on our season until now."
Konate has been one of Liverpool's best players so far this season, with the comeback win over Brighton putting Slot's team in first place in the Premier League, two points ahead of Manchester City.



Bayern Have Attacking Options to Replace Kane, Says Kompany

 Bayern's head coach Vincent Kompany claps hands during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP)
Bayern's head coach Vincent Kompany claps hands during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP)
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Bayern Have Attacking Options to Replace Kane, Says Kompany

 Bayern's head coach Vincent Kompany claps hands during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP)
Bayern's head coach Vincent Kompany claps hands during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP)

Bayern Munich have enough talented players to replace injured striker Harry Kane, starting on Tuesday with their German Cup round of 16 tie against holders Bayer Leverkusen, coach Vincent Kompany.

The England captain, who has netted 20 goals across all competitions this season and leads the Bundesliga scorers' list with 14, suffered a thigh muscle injury in Saturday's 1-1 league draw at Borussia Dortmund.

Kane is expected to be out for a couple of weeks but Kompany said he hoped he could still return to action before the winter break starts on Dec. 22. Bayern are top of the Bundesliga with a four-point lead over Eintracht Frankfurt.

"It is difficult to say at this moment but there is a chance for him to still play this year," Kompany told a press conference on Monday.

"But he will miss several games and to replace him, you know you cannot replace the goals or the player one-for-one. That's why he is a top player."

Kompany said players like Thomas Mueller, Serge Gnabry, Michael Olise and Leroy Sane had enough experience to fill the gap.

"We have talent in the team and need to solve it differently. We won't be lacking talent tomorrow but it will look different," Kompany said.

"We have many options. Thomas Mueller, Mathys Tel, Gnabry, Olise, Leroy. I now named almost everyone. Obviously, Harry has scored 20 goals... but we have dangerous players in attack."

Bayern last won the German Cup in 2020 and have failed to get past the quarter-finals since, losing in the second round in three of the past four seasons.

"We play the Cup holders tomorrow. One of the top two or three games in Germany, and I hope our performance will match the importance of the game," Kompany said.