Real Madrid News
Relief for Real Madrid as serious injury ruled out for star defender; player available vs Villarreal
Real Madrid fans woke up to the worst possible news this morning, as Ibrahima Konate left the French national team camp after picking up a knock.
The defender suffered a sprain in his right knee during a training session on Wednesday and was subsequently released from the French squad.
This raised alarm bells within the Real Madrid camp, especially after the club had lost Federico Valverde to a fresh injury.
No serious injury for Konate
However, journalist Arancha Rodriguez has offered a critical update on the fitness of Konate.
He has ruled out a serious injury for the former Liverpool defender, adding that tests conducted in France revealed no such red flags.
This could serve as a major relief for Real Madrid, who couldn’t have afforded the injury to another centre-back, especially with Eder Militao still sidelined.
Konate is expected to return to Madrid, where he may also undergo some tests to determine the true extent of his knock. But for now, everything suggests a minor problem that can be overcome during the course of the international break.
Konate available for Villarreal game
Keeping that in mind, Arancha Rodriguez suggests Konate will be available at Jose Mourinho’s disposal when Real Madrid restart their campaign against Villarreal next month.
It remains to be seen whether or not Mourinho will take the risk, though, given that he cannot afford Konate to aggravate his injury.
But Mourinho’s hands could be tied given that Dean Huijsen has been handed a one-match suspension following his red card against Atletico Madrid.
If Huijsen misses out, the Real Madrid manager may have no option but to field Konate. Therefore, the club will be banking on the French international to fully recover during the course of the international break.
The coming few weeks, therefore, could be crucial not just for Konate but for Real Madrid as well, with the club also keeping an eye on Valverde’s recovery.
One of the biggest positives for Real Madrid from the last season was the breakthrough of young midfielder Thiago Pitarch.
The 19-year-old La Fabrica prospect had been in the first-team dynamics since pre-season under Xabi Alonso, but finally got his senior debut under Alvaro Arbeloa at the turn of the year.
From that moment on, Pitarch did not look back at all, gaining prominence in the team and even starting important matches ahead of established players like Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos.
However, things have not gone as per plans for the teenager this season as he has yet to play a single minute of first-team football.
January loan no longer ruled out
As such, Diario AS now reports that Pitarch would consider leaving Real Madrid on loan during the January transfer window if his situation does not improve.
The teenage midfielder suffered an injury in pre-season which kept him sidelined for a few weeks, denying him an opportunity to start the season under Jose Mourinho.
By the time he returned, the Portuguese tactician had already identified his preferred hierarchy in midfield, with the likes of Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva, Aurelien Tchouameni and Camavinga firmly ahead in the pecking order.
A stark difference from his debut season
In his debut season, Pitarch ended with 16 first-team appearances for Real Madrid with two assists to his name.
In contrast, this term, the academy graduate has been called up to the matchday squad for five games by Mourinho this term, but has yet to play a single minute of football.
Given the situation, he used the international break to jump down to Castilla and play close to 250 minutes across three games, during which he also registered an assist.
The situation is far from ideal for a young talent who needs regular minutes to continue his development and build on his impressive breakthrough campaign.
As such, the possibility of a departure on loan in January could be considered, after Pitarch turned down offers in the summer to stay at Real Madrid.
A lot will depend on how things evolve in the next couple of months, but a temporary exit cannot be ruled out.
