Keita sidelined, Klopp hopeful on Konate ahead of Liverpool opener against Fulham

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has given an update on Naby Keita, Curtis Jones and Ibrahima Konate ahead of their Premier League opening clash against Fulham on Saturday.

While the Guinean will be sidelined due to illness, there is a chance Konate will recover by the time the Reds face Fulham, who are winless in their last 10 Premier League games.

Konate came off during the second half of the friendly encounter against Strasbourg on Sunday, while Jones was absent altogether.

"Naby is ill, Curtis felt a little bit, and we couldn't take any risks. All of a sudden, the team was really young and we played [against] a really strong Strasbourg side," Klopp told the club’s website.

"We don't know exactly yet about Ibou [Ibrahima Konate], but it doesn't look too concerning, so I hope we caught it at the right moment."

"Naby is ill, so no. Curtis, we have to see. [There] was no impact or whatever, so that always makes it a bit, 'My God, what could it be?'

"We had no time; he felt it and he wanted to play desperately, but then the medical department said no and that we needed to make further tests. We will do that tomorrow [Monday] and then we will know more."

Meanwhile, Kostas Tsimikas, who sat out the friendly against Red Bull Salzburg with a minor issue, Diogo Jota, who is currently sidelined with a hamstring issue, and Calvin Ramsay, who missed out on the pre-season tour of Asia with a minor fitness concern, are the other players who are suffering various problems ahead of the first game of the 2022/23 campaign.

Others out are Caoimhin Kelleher, who Klopp believes could be out for two or three weeks, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who suffered a hamstring injury in the friendly with Crystal Palace in Singapore. 

Alisson Becker, who recently battled an abdominal injury, is expected to be available for selection.