Man Utd defender Yoro gets France call ahead of Nations League opener
· Yahoo Sports
Manchester United defender Leny Yoro has been called up to the France squad in place of the injured Ibrahima Konate by new coach Zinedine Zidane.
The French Football Federation confirmed the change on Thursday after Real Madrid centre-back Konate suffered a knee injury in training and was forced to withdraw.
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The news came as the squad prepared to travel to Turkey for their Nations League opener in Kocaeli on Friday.
It is a first senior call-up for Yoro, who had been training with the under-21s. The 20-year-old is yet to start a Premier League game for United this season.
Konate, who joined Real from Liverpool in the summer, is to return to Spain for treatment.
A statement from the FFF read: "Defender Ibrahima Konate felt pain in his right knee during Wednesday's training session at Clairefontaine and underwent a follow-up MRI. He has been diagnosed with a minor sprain.
"In agreement with the staff and after cordial discussions between the French national team doctor and the Real Madrid doctor, the player is being made available to his club as of today."
Konate's withdrawal comes after Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery also pulled out.
France also face Belgium twice and host Italy in the current international window. The Nations League Group A fixtures are Zidane's first since succeeding the long-serving Didier Deschamps, who stepped down after the World Cup in the summer.
Zidane, who starred as a player in France's 1998 World Cup win and led Real Madrid to three Champions League triumphs as a manager, has opted for a blend of experience and youth in his squad.
Yoro will be one of six uncapped players along with Jeremy Jacquet, Guillaume Restes, Andy Diouf, Lucas Da Cunha and Esteban Lepaul.
They join a squad still boasting the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue but William Saliba is out injured.
Turkey are playing in the top tier of the Nations League for the first time after coming through a play-off against Hungary last year. They were playing in League C as recently as 2022-23.
Yet after a disappointing World Cup in which they finished bottom of their group, they face a daunting task in this group.
Key players Hakan Calhanoglu and Kenan Yildiz are both missing through injury but in-form Real Madrid forward Arda Guler is set to start.
The two countries have played six times in the past with France winning on four occasions and Turkey just once, in a European Championship qualifier in 2019.