The Real Madrid centre-back was forced to cut short training on Wednesday due to knee pain. A 19-year-old has been called up as his replacement.
The French national football team will be without centre-back Ibrahima Konaté for Friday’s Nations League match against Turkey. According to the coaching staff, the defender suffered a minor sprain to his right knee, had to cut short training on Wednesday and is now set to return to his club, Real Madrid. National team manager Zinédine Zidane has called up 19-year-old Leny Yoro from Manchester United as his replacement.
For France, Konaté’s absence is already the third during the current international break. Previously, goalkeeper Robin Risser (RC Lens) and midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain) had both had to withdraw due to injury. Yoro had most recently been training with the Under-21s at the National Football Centre in Clairefontaine and has now been called up to the senior national team for the first time.
Following Zidane’s debut in the away match in Kocaeli, Turkey, the French will play three further Nations League matches: in Belgium (28 September), against Italy (2 October) and again in Belgium (5 October).