Konate Ruled Out of Zidane's First France Squad as Yoro Earns Surprise Call-Up

Ibrahima Konate has pulled out of Zinedine Zidane's first France squad after picking up a knee injury in training, with Manchester United's Leny Yoro handed a surprise first senior call up as his replacement ahead of the Nations League opener against Turkey.

Konate, who has 30 caps for France, suffered the injury during a training session with the squad on Wednesday, according to MaxiFoot. It is a frustrating blow for the Real Madrid defender, who had been hoping to make a strong impression under the new coaching staff before this setback.

Medical checks confirmed Konate has a minor sprain in his right knee, ruling him out of involvement with France for the time being. As a result, he will leave the national team camp early and fly back to Madrid on Thursday, where the club will take charge of his recovery and monitor his progress closely, hoping to avoid a longer spell out.

𝐊𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄́ 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐓, 𝐘𝐎𝐑𝐎 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐋𝐄́ 🇫🇷

Ibrahima Konaté, touché au genou droit et victime d’une légère entorse, est remis à la disposition de son club.

Leny Yoro le remplace et honore sa première convocation chez les Bleus. pic.twitter.com/iV6JuVIXZ6

— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) September 24, 2026

With Konate out, the French coaching staff have turned to Yoro to fill the gap in defence. The 20 year old had already been in camp at Clairefontaine, though originally as part of the Under-21 squad preparing for upcoming European Championship qualifiers. His promotion to the senior team marks a big moment in his career, giving the former Lille defender his first taste of senior international football and a chance to train alongside more experienced players under Zidane.

With the squad now finalised, attention turns fully to Friday's game, which will mark the start of Zidane's reign as France head coach, against Turkey in the Nations League.