Ibrahima Konate failed to play a single minute for France at Euro 2024, and now Liverpool can plan for his return for pre-season after their semi-final exit.
Having been expected to take up a regular starting role heading into the tournament, a brief illness saw Konate drop out of contention at centre-back.
Instead, Didier Deschamps stuck with the pairing of Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba throughout a run that led France to a semi-final against Spain on Tuesday night.
But up against a side that many consider favourites, Les Bleus came up short, losing 2-1 after a stunning strike from 16-year-old Lamine Yamal.
It means Konate leaves the Euros having not featured at all, going unused in six games against Austria, Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, Portugal and Spain.
That comes after also losing his place in the Liverpool lineup at the back end of last season – though Konate himself has suggested Jarell Quansah was only preferred as “there was nothing at stake.”
Leaving Germany after the semi-finals, Konate will now embark on a post-season break, which will be a minimum of three weeks on medical advice from the Premier League.
Therefore, Liverpool’s No. 5 should not be expected back in pre-season training until August 1 at the earliest.
By that point, Arne Slot‘s side will have already flown out to the United States and taken in two of the three warmup fixtures of their pre-season tour.
Liverpool are set to travel to Pittsburgh on July 23, before facing Real Betis at the Acrisure Stadium on July 27 and then heading to Philadelphia to face Arsenal on August 1.
Their final stop in the US will be in Columbia, South Carolina, where they take on Man United on August 4.
While that could feasibly see Konate involved, it is highly unlikely that will be the case, and his most realistic return to action will instead be the final friendly of pre-season.
That comes against Sevilla at Anfield on August 11, by which point Slot should have the majority – if not all – of his squad back.
Alexis Mac Allister, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz are guaranteed among the last to report back, along with either Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez or Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo depending on the England vs. Netherlands result.
Andy Robertson, Dominik Szoboszlai and Vitezslav Jaros are expected to join the squad next week, while Diogo Jota and Alisson are likely to arrive for the second week of the US tour.