‘He’s not alone’ – French-Malian defender Ibrahima Konate backed by Slot amid Liverpool scrutiny

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has moved to defend Ibrahima Konaté, insisting the French-Malian centre-back should not be made a scapegoat for the team’s recent dip in form.

The Reds suffered consecutive defeats to Crystal Palace in the Premier League and Galatasaray in the Champions League, with Konaté criticised for a number of individual lapses.

Konaté, born in Paris to Malian parents, has established himself as a key figure for both Liverpool and the French national team, but his dual heritage remains an important part of his identity.

Despite his standing, his performances in recent games have come under scrutiny as the Reds battle through a difficult period.

Slot, however, rejected suggestions that Konaté alone was at fault, stressing that the problems are collective.

“If you are losing a game of football, it doesn’t help if you lose the ball a few times very easily,” the Dutchman said.

“Ibou has been one of them, but definitely not the only one.

“Against Galatasaray, apart from the penalty, maybe they got three or four other moments, all from us losing simple balls without any pressure, which happened to him once in the Palace game and once against Galatasaray.”

He added: “If you lose there is so much focus on that moment and, all of a sudden, 90 minutes have been very poor.

“That’s not the way I analyse a game when I watch it back. I see what we did well and what we did wrong.

“In the last two games, it has been obvious and clear we have made a few errors, not only him, but also others we are not used to.”

Slot faces a key decision ahead of Saturday’s clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, with Joe Gomez pushing for a starting role.

The head coach also confirmed that Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa are being assessed for fitness, while goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is expected to make his Premier League debut with Alisson Becker sidelined for up to six weeks.

Despite the setbacks, Slot emphasised that Liverpool’s defensive stability cannot rest on one player alone.