Real Madrid confirm Konaté knee ligament injury, no return date set
Real Madrid have confirmed Ibrahima Konaté has suffered a collateral ligament injury in his right leg, with no return date announced.
What we know
- Konaté was assessed by Real Madrid’s medical department after joining up with France for the Nations League break.
- The French Football Federation has called up Manchester United centre-back Leny Yoro as his replacement.
- Konaté had started each of Real Madrid’s seven games this season, recording 540 La Liga minutes and playing the full match in the Champions League.
- The 26-year-old joined Madrid from Liverpool on a free transfer during the summer and had earned a France recall from Zinédine Zidane.
- He had been aiming to push for a starting role with William Saliba unavailable, after Maxence Lacroix had moved ahead of him as a reserve option during the World Cup.
- Federico Valverde is also injured after the international break, leaving Madrid with another fitness concern before club football resumes.
What happens next
Konaté will return to Madrid to begin treatment under the club’s medical staff. Early reports had described the issue as a minor knee sprain, but the confirmed ligament diagnosis has ended his France involvement.
There is still uncertainty over the length of his absence. One assessment has suggested he could miss around two weeks and target Madrid’s La Liga meeting with Villarreal on October 10, although there are doubts over whether the club will rush him back given his previous knee problems.
Madrid will now monitor both Konaté and Valverde before their next domestic fixtures, with the coaching staff expected to turn to squad depth until clearer recovery schedules are issued.
