Ibrahima Konaté absent from team training ahead of France v Belgium RO16 game

Ibrahima Konaté (25) did not take part in team training with his France teammates two days before their Euro 2024 RO16 game against Belgium, according to a report this Saturday from L’Equipe. The Liverpool centre-back had to contend with riding a training bike on his own, on the fringes of the pitch of Paderborn’s Home Deluxe Arena, which serves as France’s training ground for the Euros. Ibrahima Konaté is yet to play a single minute in Germany, with Didier Deschamps relying on a centre-back partnership composed of Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano (25) and Arsenal’s William Saliba (23).

The outlet understands that Ibrahima Konaté picked up a knock during Friday’s training session. Le Parisien understands Friday’s session was concluded by a specific penalty shoot-out exercice, a very rare sight for Didier Deschamps’ France but a logical one considering Les Bleus bowed out of their last two major tournaments, the 2021 Euros and the 2022 World Cup, on penalties. L’Equipe understand that Ibrahima Konaté is expected to return to full team training this Sunday. France will play Belgium this Monday, at 6pm CET, at Düsseldorf with a berth in the quarter-finals up for grabs.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval