Arne Slot has played down the significance of center back Ibrahima Konaté being unable to finish Saturday’s 1–1 draw against Chelsea in the Premier League. Konaté did 77 minutes at Anfield, before limping out of the game and Joe Gomez replacing him. His withdrawal didn’t change the outcome of the match, with no more goals beyond the first-half strikes for either side from Ryan Gravenberch and Enzo Fernández. But with Gomez the only senior center back on the bench, it sparked concern about Liverpool’s defense being stretched even thinner. Liverpool’s Champions League qualification for next season is likely, but still not fully secure, and a late collapse at this stage brought about by a defensive unit on its knee could still spell disaster, especially with sixth-place Bournemouth chasing a piece of history for themselves. Being without Konaté in the final stretch of the season, with the often unavailable Gomez stepping in as the only source of cover, would be a problem for Liverpool .…