Konaté pulls out of Zidane’s France squad with minor knee injury and returns to Real Madrid

Konaté pulls out of Zidane's France squad with minor knee injury and returns to Real Madrid | iNFOnews.ca
Real Madrid's Ibrahima Konate, left, challenges Rayo's Sergio Camello during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

PARIS (AP) — Ibrahima Konaté has pulled out of France’s squad after hurting his knee in training and returned to Real Madrid.

The center back felt pain in his right knee during a practice session on Wednesday and a scan showed a minor sprain, the national team said.

Konaté was allowed to go back to Spain after what France described as “cordial discussions” between the national team and Madrid, the former club of current France coach Zinedine Zidane.

Manchester United defender Leny Yoro, who was with France’s under-21 team, has replaced Konaté in the senior squad.

France’s first game of the international break — Zidane’s debut as coach after replacing Didier Deschamps — is at Turkey on Friday.

Konaté pulls out of Zidane's France squad with minor knee injury and returns to Real Madrid | iNFOnews.ca
France national soccer team coach Zinedine Zidane arrives for a training session in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines west of Paris, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, three days ahead of France’s UEFA Nations League soccer match against Turkey. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

The 20-year-old Yoro is one of six newcomers to the national team as Zidane begins to build the team of the future.

Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul, Liverpool center back Jeremy Jacquet, Como midfielder Lucas Da Cunha, Inter Milan’s Andy Diouf and Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes are set for their debuts in upcoming Nations League games.

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