He was one of the pillars of Lyon’s defence. Now he is sidelined. Moussa Niakhaté returned from Senegal duty with a hamstring injury, and OL must cope without their centre-back.
According to L’Équipe, the Senegal international was ruled out of the trip to Lens on Friday 9 October in Ligue 1. But the bigger worry lies elsewhere: his absence could extend to the European tie against Crystal Palace, scheduled for 15 October in the Europa League. Put simply, Paulo Fonseca already needs a plan B. No precise recovery time has been announced.
Fonseca forced to improvise
The Portuguese coach loses a key part of a back line that was starting to find stability. His return date will depend on how the injury progresses.
Senegal will be watching closely. The Lions of Teranga return to AFCON 2027 qualifying in November for matchdays 3 and 4. But for OL, the emergency is called Palace, and the countdown has begun.