Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate during a training session with France in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, southwest of Paris, on October 8 2025(Image: FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

Ibrahima Konate has been released from the France squad and will return to Liverpool to continue his recovery from a thigh injury. Konate was called up by his national team earlier this week despite limping off shortly after half-time of the Reds' 2-1 Premier League defeat at Chelsea last Saturday.

The centre-back sat out training for several days before being involved in a session on Wednesday at Clairefontaine.

However, he failed to feature from the bench during the 3-0 home World Cup qualifying win over Azerbaijan on Friday night and has now been replaced by Marseille defender Benjamin Pavard for the game in Iceland on Monday.

While there is no suggestion Konate has aggravated the problem, that he will not have featured in...