You’d be excused for not remembering that the defender is still with the team, but he was seen working out this week as the team prepared for their match against Newcastle.
Ibrahima Konate is a doubt due to a muscular problem, Jurgen Klopp stated in his pre-game press conference.
In order to maintain their center-back alternatives, Liverpool may be reluctant to let Phillips leave yet again given their lack of progress in bringing in a defensive acquisition.
Phillips did accompany the team on the preseason tour of Germany, but he did not play in any of the summer’s friendlies.
He made his home debut for the Reds in 2022/23 against Crystal Palace, but since then, he has played in just three minutes of Premier League action, piqueing Leeds and Feyenoord’s interest.
With less than a week left in the transfer window, no deal has been made, and Phillips may have to spend another season filling in occasionally for the senior center-backs.
If Konate were to suffer a long-term injury, Phillips and the youngster Jarell Quansah would be the only two center-back specialists remaining in a lineup that might feature three at the back for significant stretches of the season.
Injury to Virgil van Dijk’s hamstring last season placed Phillips in a similar position amid reports of interest from elsewhere in the January window.
The 26-year-old unexpectedly extended his contract at Anfield by four years after failing to clinch a move away in the summer of 2021.
It followed a strong 2020–21 season in which he was had to fill in at the back owing to a number of first-team defense injuries.
Recent weeks have seen minimal discussion of his prospective exit, and Konate’s injury might force Liverpool to exercise greater caution when considering any offers that may come their way.
The degree of Konate’s most recent injury is yet unknown, but the Reds are just a few more injuries away from a crisis resembling that of the 2020–21 season, when Phillips played such a significant role.
