Kolo Toure Heading for Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast

Liverpool are expected to be without experienced defender Kolo Toure for just under a month as the Ivorian joins his country in competing in January and February at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

The 33-year old has found his chances few and far between at Anfield this season after spurning the advances of Turkish club Trabzonspor over the summer to fight for his place at the Merseyside club, but he’s been in fine form for his country — even bagging the opening goal as the Elephants routed Sierra Leone side to all but assure progression to the tournament proper just behind Cameroon.

The Ivorians secured the runners-up spot after a tense draw with the group winners at home yesterday secured them a place at the finals. Despite progressing quite comfortably, they won’t have it easy at all as they’ve been drawn to face-off against Guinea, four time winners Cameroon and Mali.

Although the veteran put in a almost perfect performance as the Reds fell 1-0 to the might of Real Madrid in the Champions League earlier in the month, Toure was unable to nail down a place in the Liverpool starting eleven despite their well publicized defensive problems. Considering he can barely get a game, it doesn’t look like the Reds will miss Toure all that much when the tournament kicks off in the middle of January, but if things keep up the way they are, he could find himself getting more minutes as Brendan Rodgers tries to ease his problems at the back.

Stranger things have happened…