By Adegboyega Adeleye
Kylian Mbappé, Ibrahima Konaté and Federico Valverde are expected to recover from their respective injuries and be available for Real Madrid’s El Clásico against Barcelona on October 25, according to reports from ESPN.
The three players picked up injuries at different points in recent weeks, with Mbappé suffering a knee problem while on international duty with France, Konaté sustaining a knee injury in training and Valverde hurting his ankle during Real Madrid’s derby defeat by Atletico Madrid.
A source confirmed to ESPN that Valverde is expected to return sooner, with his availability being targeted for Real Madrid’s LaLiga meeting with Villarreal on October 10, while Mbappé and Konaté face more uncertainty over their immediate returns.
Real Madrid confirmed on September 27 that Mbappé suffered a “hyperextension of the posterior capsule of his left knee” after scoring in France’s 1-0 Nations League victory over Türkiye.
ESPN reports that Mbappé’s own assessment of the injury, particularly the level of pain he experiences, will play a role in determining when he returns to action.
Konaté’s knee ligament problem is not considered serious, although Real Madrid are weighing whether to bring the defender back against Villarreal or take a more cautious approach.
Real Madrid face a busy schedule before travelling to Barcelona, hosting Villarreal on October 10 before visiting Roma in the Champions League on October 14.
They will then host Sevilla on October 18 and face RB Leipzig on October 21 before travelling to Barcelona for El Clásico on October 25.
ESPN reports that Real Madrid are confident Mbappé, Konaté and Valverde will all be fit for the clash at Camp Nou.
Defender Éder Militão could also return towards the end of October after resuming training this week following surgery in April. However, he is unlikely to have regained enough match fitness to feature against Barcelona.
Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo, meanwhile, remain sidelined and are not expected to be available for selection.
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