Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has been handed a major boost ahead of Wolves.
Having not signed a defender during the summer transfer window, Liverpool had left itself slightly short at the back. Just two games into the new season, Ibrahima Konaté was injured (and has since missed two matches) and Virgil van Dijk was sent off.
That red card at Newcastle United for the Reds captain saw him pick up a one-game suspension but that was doubled for his reaction on the field toward the referee, John Brooks.
That meant that it was looking like Liverpool would be short of defensive options.
That was only made more apparent when Trent Alexander-Arnold pulled out of international duty with an injury. Conor Bradley is already missing, meaning that Liverpool was looking short at full-back as well as in the center.
Konaté, however, has now returned from injury in a major boost for Liverpool and Jürgen Klopp. The Frenchman is seemingly back in contention to play again having been spotted in training at the AXA Centre earlier today, which would free up Joe Gomez to play at right-back.
Joël Matip could partner Konaté with Gomez playing full-back, albeit in a very different way to Alexander-Arnold.
Despite that, it would solve the headache of needing to field Jarell Quansah for a first senior start in a competitive fixture.
Quansah has looked good in cameos and helped when he entered the field against Newcastle, but that was for a relatively short spell.
Playing the whole game in the Premier League would be a completely different ask.
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Wataru Endō has also played at the back in some matches but it would not be a great sign if the only senior holding midfielder that Liverpool has was already required at center-back just five fixtures into the new season.
Stefan Bajčetić made a return to action with Spain U21s after around five months out earlier in the week but it remains to be seen where his fitness levels are at.
Instead, it looks like there could be a Robertson-Matip-Konaté-Gomez back four that starts at Wolves, which would appear to be a strong back line, even if the emphasis on those players would change.
Gomez, for instance, would not be moving into midfield in possession as Liverpool’s right-back usually would.
Andy Robertson might have more license to attack.
With two games a week until the next international break next month, Liverpool will not be able to play that foursome in every single minute.
Van Dijk, though, will only miss Wolves and no more matches, and Klopp will give a full update on Alexander-Arnold in his press conference on Friday.
Konaté returning is a big boost for the Reds, and that will only be even more obvious if Alexander-Arnold is set to sit out the trip to Molineux after Liverpool took the risk of not signing another defender to bolster its ranks over the summer.
