Liverpool will head to the capital this evening for their Premier League clash with West Ham United at the London Stadium and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that his team can continue to pick up important points as the season reaches the final stages.
The Reds are currently seventh in the top-flight table and are nine points adrift of the Champions League qualifying spots inside the top four at present with just seven games remaining to close the gap.
Indeed, it is looking more and more unlikely that Liverpool will be able to secure a place in the prestigious European competition next season, however, supporters will expect their team to put up a fight over the next few weeks, which includes snatching all three points away from home tonight.
Liverpool have struggled significantly with injuries this season as several key players have experienced multiple absences, which has contributed to the inconsistent performances on the pitch, and Klopp has now revealed that the team could be without another star later.
The German coach took to his pre-match press conference to confirm that centre-back Ibrahima Konate is an injury doubt for the clash with West Ham:
“Ibou, we need to see how it is with him but in the moment I am rather positive, but that doesn’t mean a lot. From possible starters, I think that’s it.”
As a result, it could be the perfect opportunity for Joel Matip to earn his spot back in the starting XI for the mid-week clash, as his experience and partnership with Virgil van Dijk would be the best solution to replace Konate.
Will Joel Matip start vs West Ham?
There is no doubt that the Liverpool boss will be cautious about Konate if he isn't 100% fit, as the defender has been crucial in the positive performances that have led up to this game and will remain important for the upcoming fixtures that include Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa as both teams are ahead of them in the table.
So starting Matip alongside Van Dijk would be advantageous to ensure the Frenchman has enough time to recover from his niggle without compromising the quality of the defensive set-up in the process.
The £100k-per-week ace – hailed as a "huge presence" by Jamie Carragher – has been integral in the past success at Anfield, but more recently, has lost his place in his starting spot to Konate.
Despite being out of favour, there is no denying that Matip would be a worthy replacement for his teammate with his record against West Ham proving that he would be more than capable of a positive performance.
Over his seven appearances against the Hammers, Matip has only lost once and won four when he has featured, as well as scoring a Premier League goal against them.
With that being said, it would be a no-brainer to unleash Matip in the back four tonight as he not only has the experience to influence a good result, but will give Klopp the chance to rest Konate ahead of the clash with Spurs on Sunday.
