Camavinga suffers knee ligament damage

Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga suffered knee ligament damage while training with the French national team, the club said on Friday.

Camavinga, 21, suffered the injury in his right knee on Wednesday as he trained with his France teammates for Euro 2024 qualifiers and then returned to Spain for scans that revealed the extent of the problem.

"Following tests carried out today it has been diagnosed that Camavinga has torn the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee," Real Madrid said in a statement. "Further developments are awaited."

Real did not immediately say how long he would be sidelined for, but serious knee ligament injuries tend to require months to heal.

Camavinga has become a key part of Real's lineup this season and is seen as one of the players the Spanish giants will build around for the future, alongside 20-year-old English midfielder Jude Bellingham.

On Thursday, France had announced that the 13-times capped international had a "sprained right knee".

He was replaced by Nice's Khephren Thuram for the final two Euro 2024 qualifiers against Gibraltar in Nice on Saturday and Greece in Athens on Tuesday.

Group B leaders France are already through to next year's tournament in Germany.

Camavinga joined Real Madrid in 2021 from Rennes and extended his contract until 2029 in early November with coach Carlo Ancelotti praising his versatility as he played in more than 100 matches in all competitions.

Since his arrival in Madrid he has won the Champions League, a Club World Cup, a European Super Cup, La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.