Ibrahima Konate has been handed his maiden France call-up after Raphael Varane picked up yet another injury
The Liverpool defender missed out on Didier Deschamps’ initial squad, even after an impressive second half of the season at Anfield. Like many of Jurgen Klopp’s recent signings, Konate was eased into the lineup following his £36million arrival last summer.
And while Joel Matip remained Virgil van Dijk’s more regular partner, Konate was given the nod in crunch times, including the FA Cup and Champions League finals. Despite defeat in the latter against Real Madrid , the 23-year-old vindicated Klopp’s decision with a solid showing against the likes of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr.