Koné's knee injury disrupts Zidane's first France squad plans

Manu Koné left the pitch prematurely at Fenerbahçe in the 53rd minute during Roma’s 1-1 Ligue des Champions draw on Thursday evening, with a knee problem — bad news for Zinédine Zidane, who must announce his first France squad as head coach in less than a week.

Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini confirmed the nature of the issue after the match: “He complained of knee pain.” The 25-year-old midfielder was set to undergo thorough medical examinations on Friday to establish a precise diagnosis.

If a multi-week absence is confirmed, the French international would miss the next Ligue des Nations gathering for the Blues, which includes four matches: in Turkey on September 25, in Belgium on September 28, then two matches at Stade de France against Italy on October 2 and again against Belgium on October 5.

The injury is all the more frustrating as it occurred while Koné was delivering a solid first half. Positioned as a defensive shield in front of Roma’s defence, the former Toulouse player displayed remarkable technical quality — 42 successful passes out of 43 attempted — and proved valuable in defensive interventions to cut off opposing attacks. He had also provided a quality opening pass to Paulo Dybala, though the Argentine failed to convert.

Should his absence be confirmed, Zidane will need to reconsider his midfield composition. Andy Diouf, very much in the spotlight with Inter Milan, is among the pre-selected players and could constitute a serious alternative.