Ibrahima Konate Injury: Progress, Potential Return Date for Real Madrid Defender

Real Madrid fans know the next injury scare is never too far away.

Having just seen midfielder Federico Valverde diagnosed with an ankle injury following the Madrid derby, Los Blancos have now been rocked by the news that center back Ibrahima Konaté is on his way back to the club after suffering a knee injury on international duty with France.

Here’s everything we know about Konaté’s condition.

What Injury Does Ibrahima Konaté Have?

Reports state Konaté did not finish Wednesday’s training session with France and, after complaining of pain in his knee, was sent for an MRI scan.

Confirming the results of those tests, the French Football Federation (FFF) revealed Konaté has suffered a sprain in his right knee, which was deemed serious enough to force with withdrawal from the squad.

Taking his place for France is Manchester United’s Leny Yoro, who is now in line for his first-ever senior appearance for Les Bleus.

When Will Ibrahima Konaté Return From Injury?

No strict timeline has been given for Konaté’s recovery, although the FFF clearly does not expect to see him sat on the sidelines for long, having described his knee sprain as “mild.”

His time with the French team is over and Konaté’s attention now turns to recovering for Real Madrid who, thanks to the extended nature of this international break, are not back in action until Oct. 10, two-and-a-half weeks after he picked up the injury.

Whether Konaté is back for that game—a visit from Valencia—will come down to the specifics of his sprain which, as it stands, are unknown. Minor issues can take anywhere from one to three weeks to heal, while it is not uncommon to see slightly more serious cases take over a month.

Considering Konaté will need to spend several days in full training before being freed back to José Mourinho’s starting lineup, that Valencia match could easily come too soon for the Frenchman. Even the Champions League trip to Roma four days later could be a stretch, perhaps leaving the visit from Sevilla on Oct. 18 as a likely return date.

Real Madrid’s Options to Replace Ibrahima Konaté

No central defender has played more minutes for Mourinho this season than Konaté, who has been an integral part of the manager’s preferred back line alongside Dean Huijsen.

An added complication for Mourinho is the fact Huijsen is suspended for the Valencia game, having been sent off in the Madrid derby, meaning the boss may be without both his preferred center backs. When Éder Militão’s injury is added to the equation, Mourinho has quickly stumbled into a selection crisis.

Antonio Rüdiger is the preferred deputy and will be drafted into the starting lineup to face Valencia. Just who joins him if Konaté is unavailable is the real question.

No other central defender has played for the senior team this season. Raúl Asencio would appear to be the next option but, after a summer in which it was widely reported that he rebuffed Madrid’s repeated efforts to sell him, it is unclear whether he will play any sort of role under Mourinho.

Castilla star Mario Rivas, 19, has been a regular feature on Mourinho’s bench this season but has yet to make his senior debut, perhaps strengthening Asencio’s case for minutes.

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