is Ibrahima Konaté playing today

Arne Slot Confirms Ibrahima Konaté Availability for AFC Bournemouth Clash Following His Father Demise

Arijit Das

Published - Jan 23, 2026, 02:12 PM

3 min

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Arne Slot Confirms Ibrahima Konaté Availability for AFC Bournemouth Clash Following His Father Demise

Summary

Following the unfortunate demise of Hamady Konate, the question of whether Ibrahima Konaté is playing today against Bournemouth is the hot topic amongst Liverpool fans.
In the pre-match conference, Liverpool boss Arne Slot has implied that the 26-year-old will miss the game against the Cherries.
We can expect the Frenchman to be back with the first team before Liverpool's home game against Newcastle United.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot implied that the French center-back Ibrahima Konate will not be featured against AFC Bournemouth this Saturday. The Dutchman's words broke the ice for the “Is Ibrahima Konaté playing today?” question.

Prior to Liverpool's midweek Champions League fixture against Marseille, Ibrahima Konate opted out of the starting XI to attend to a personal family matter. Following Liverpool's 0-3 victory away from home, it was confirmed that the Frenchman missed the fixture due to his father's demise.

Along with the words “From Him we come, and to Him we return”, the Frenchman shared the details of Hamady Konate's funeral, which is set to take place this Friday.

Following their win away from home, Arne Slot mentioned that the Frenchman is going through a “very sad” time while stating the reason he is not here is due to a family matter.

Given how the past few days have been for Ibrahima Konate family, the question at hand is “Is Ibrahima Konaté playing today?” Liverpool's boss himself has shed light on this question in pre match conference today.

Arne Slot on Ibrahima Konate Situation

In a post-match interview, Arne Slot showcased his backing and support for Ibrahima Konate while sharing how the team missed him in the backline beside Virgil van Dijk, one of the best defenders in the world.

Prior to Liverpool's league game against AFC Bournemouth, Slot was asked about Konate's availability against the Cherries.

The Dutch manager once again wasted no time showcasing his support for the 26-year-old. The gaffer shed light on the availability of the Frenchman, implying that he won't be featured in the starting XI against AFC Bournemouth this weekend.

“I've spoken to him a few times and these are private matters and they should stay that way. It's very obvious when something like that happens the player needs time to be there for his family and for himself,” Slot said.

Given the circumstances and Slot's decision, it is clear that the answer is ‘NO’ if you are looking for the answer to whether Ibrahima Konaté is playing today.

What's next for Liverpool and Ibrahima Konate?

While the words of Arne Slot on Ibrahima Konate clearly indicate that the 26-year-old will miss the game against the Cherries this weekend, we can expect the center-back to return to the team before Liverpool's home game against Newcastle United.

Given the sensitivity of the situation, Arne Slot will likely give Ibou more time. Therefore, we can also expect the 26-year-old to miss Liverpool's home game against Qarabag FK.