Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid confirm injury to key defender
Following his return from the France national team camp, Real Madrid have officially announced that defender Ibrahima Konate has suffered an injury in his right leg.
“Following tests carried out today on our player Ibrahima Konate by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a collateral ligament injury in his right leg. His recovery will be monitored,” the club statement read.
Konate was one of three Real Madrid stars called up by France manager Zinedine Zidane for the current international break.
The 27-year-old, though, was released from the squad earlier this morning due to a sprain he sustained in training.
Parte médico de Konaté.https://t.co/036w1I37nK
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 24, 2026
Now, Real Madrid have confirmed the nature of his injury, and while the statement does not specify the severity of the issue or the recovery timeline, it is believed that the problem is only a minor one.
In fact, Konate is expected to be sidelined for a short period only 7-8 days, and unless anything drastic happens, he is set to be available for the team’s first game after the international break against Villarreal.
This will come as a massive relief for Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid, considering that Konate has become an important player since arriving in the summer as a free agent.
Indeed, the 27-year-old defender has started seven of eight matches that Los Blancos have played this term, benching veteran defender Antonio Rudiger in the process.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
