Ibrahima Konate was chosen to partner Virgil Van Dijk for Liverpool against Villareal, and Rio Ferdinand has had his say on the matter.
Konate was preferred over Joel Matip in the Champions League clash with Villareal, and Ferdinand has claimed he has every right to be annoyed with the decision.
“If I am Joel Matip, I am fuming. He has been exceptional all season and we talk about being the best defenders on form in the league, he would be in there for a shout after (Virgil) Van Dijk, so yeah set-pieces must be a big thing for his team selection this evening,” said Ferdinand, speaking on BT Sport, via the Liverpool Echo.
Matip has had an impressive season, but Jurgen Klopp opted for Konate in one of the biggest games of the season. The German manager has been known for his rotating since joining the club, but it’s rare to be rotated as a centre-back.
With a busy schedule up ahead and Liverpool still competing in three competitions, Klopp is wary of overworking some of his players. As he still wants to be as competitive as possible, he doesn’t want to rotate the whole squad, so only a few players have been rotated.
Matip will feel hard done by being left out, but he will still have a key part to play in the league and FA Cup.