Liverpool’s strong start has player in line for international honour – One of three candidates

Ibrahima Konaté strong start to the season with Liverpool has put him in line to be named France captain in the next international break.

That’s according to RMC Sport, who say Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni’s absences have also boosted the Liverpool defender’s cause.

RMC report that Konaté is among ‘the favourites’ to take up the captain’s armband in the coming international break alongside N’Golo Kanté and Jules Koundé.

Mbappé has been left out of the group ahead of the games against Israel and Italy in the Nations League later this month while Tchouaméni is out through injury.

The Real Madrid midfielder had inherited the role during the last international break and the Liverpool centre-back is one of three options being looked at by Didier Deschamps to replace him.

He was already in contention during October’s international break before Tchouaméni was eventually chosen.

But the fact that Konaté is now a ‘mainstay’ under Arne Slot at Liverpool, helping the side to the top of the Premier League and Champions League tables, has not gone unnoticed.

Koundé has had a similarly strong start to the season at Barcelona while Kanté was already captain for the clash against Belgium in September.

That would seemingly make him the favourite, but Konaté is in the mix, with Deschamps revealing a decision will be made in the middle of next week.

“You will know on Thursday or maybe Wednesday if I decide to send the captain to a press conference, because it is not an obligation,” he said.

“It will not be Tchouaméni since he is injured. This will also allow, through this gathering, to make other players a little more responsible and maintain a dynamic that has been started.”