Medical update on Konaté: Real Madrid have target date for return | OneFootball

Real Madrid received news this Thursday that, all things considered, brings some relief. Ibrahima Konaté is suffering from a collateral ligament injury in his right leg, although the club is confident the defender could be available after the next international break.

The centre-back returned to Spain after leaving the French national team camp because of the physical issue. Real Madrid confirmed the injury in a medical report stating that the player is “awaiting further evaluation.”

Villarreal, Konaté’s target

Although there is still no definitive recovery timeline, the expectation within Real Madrid is that Konaté will be able to return to action after the international window.

The match marked on the calendar is October 10 against Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu. That is the target set both by the club’s medical staff and by the player himself, as long as his recovery progresses well.

For now, Madrid will avoid setting an exact layoff period and will closely monitor the defender’s progress over the coming days.

Mourinho could be left without two centre-backs

The situation becomes even more significant because of the confirmed absence of Dean Huijsen, who will be unable to play against Villarreal after being sent off in the Madrid derby.

If Konaté also fails to recover in time, José Mourinho would have to turn to an unfamiliar centre-back pairing made up of Antonio Rüdiger and Raúl Asencio.

It would be a combination he has not yet used this season and would force the Portuguese coach to adjust his defensive structure in a match in which Real Madrid hope to once again have one of their main defensive reinforcements available.

For now, the priority is clear: to get Konaté fit again during the break and have him ready to face Villarreal on October 10.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.