RB Leipzig new signing Abdoul Koné out for weeks with shoulder injury

Injury Blow for Leipzig's Summer Acquisition

RB Leipzig have suffered a setback in their pre-season preparations: new signing Abdoul Koné (21) will be out for several weeks. The central defender, who joined the Bundesliga club from French side Reims for a transfer fee of €17 million, sustained a capsule injury to his right shoulder during training.

The exact duration of the Frenchman's absence remains unclear. He is expected to be gradually reintegrated into the team over the coming weeks.

Head coach Martin Demichelis (45) commented: "That's really a shame. It happened during an action in training. He has fluid in his shoulder. We have to see how it reacts. He will probably be away from the group for a few days."

Koné a Spectator in Test Match

Leipzig's new arrival could only watch from the sidelines during Saturday's friendly against Ingolstadt. What he saw was far from convincing.

As in the previous week's match against Altglienicke (2-1), RB Leipzig—missing six international players—failed to impress against the third-division side. The test match was played over two 60-minute halves, with new coach Demichelis fielding two completely different lineups.

The most notable player in the first half was again Johann Bakayoko (23). Loan returnee Arthur Vermeeren (21) also managed to catch the eye, even though the 1-0 lead came from an Ingolstadt own goal in the 5th minute.

In the second half, played at 28 degrees Celsius under blazing sunshine, no clear class difference was visible. On the contrary: Leipzig goalkeeper Leopold Zingerle (32) saved his team from conceding an equalizer with a brilliant stop in the 100th minute.

Coach Demichelis remained calm about the performance, attributing it to the intensity of the previous week's training. The Argentine said: "The players are simply tired."

Gulacsi Staying in Leipzig

Another key development: RB Leipzig legend Peter Gulacsi (36) will remain with the club. According to BILD information, Spanish top club Villarreal is keen on the goalkeeper and is already in intensive negotiations with him. However, no talks have taken place between the clubs yet. His absence from the Ingolstadt match was agreed upon beforehand, regardless of transfer speculation.

New signing Rocco Reitz (24) continues his rehabilitation training following a severe infection. Eljif Elmas (26) trained on a side pitch after sustaining a cut to his eye.

Lineups

First half: Vandevoordt - Baku, Orban, Lukeba, Finkgräfe - Banzuzi, Vermeeren - Gruda - Bakayoko, Romulo, Gomis

Second half: Zingerle - Henrichs, Esteve, Bitshiabu, Bungi - Klostermann - Ouedraogo (Konate 105.), Maksimovic - Sani, Harder - Thomas