Ibrahima Konate out 7-8 days with knee sprain, Real Madrid say

Ibrahima Konate is expected to be out for 7-8 days with a sprained right knee, according to RMC Sport's Fabrice Hawkins, which would leave him fit for Real Madrid's first fixture after the international break.

The centre-back left the France camp after picking up the injury in training on Wednesday. Mundo Deportivo reports that France's staff kept in constant contact with Real Madrid and chose to send him back to Madrid as a precaution. The club will run further tests to establish the exact state of the knee.

Journalist Arancha Rodriguez says tests carried out in France found no sign of a serious problem and that Konate should be available against Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu on 10 October. Mundo Deportivo says Real Madrid do not rule out him playing, though it all depends on how the knee responds.

Konate, 27, joined as a free agent in the summer and has started and played the full 90 minutes in seven of Real Madrid's eight matches under Jose Mourinho. He has paired with Dean Huijsen, which has pushed Antonio Rudiger down the order.

Real Madrid are short at the back. Eder Militao is still sidelined, Federico Valverde has picked up a fresh injury, and Huijsen is suspended for one match after his red card against Atletico Madrid. Yahoo Sports reports that if Huijsen misses the Villarreal game, Mourinho may have no option but to play Konate.

If the knee settles as expected, Mourinho gets his first-choice pairing back after the break, minus Huijsen's suspension. If it does not, he would have Rudiger and few other options for the Villarreal game.