Injured during his first call-up with Algeria, Adil Bourabaa has undergone successful ankle surgery. The Le Mans FC attacking midfielder is set to be out for at least three months and will not play again during the first half of the season.
The news broke this Wednesday: Adil Bourabaa, a 21-year-old attacking midfielder, has undergone successful ankle surgery, according to Fennec Football. He is suffering from a syndesmosis injury, sustained during his first call-up with the Algeria national team, in a friendly match against Niger. The sports press confirms that he will not play again during the first half of the season, according to Foot Afrique.
Le Mans FC thus lose their most decisive attacking player, at a time when the club needs to string together several important fixtures. The young international’s absence weighs all the more heavily as the club find themselves deprived of one of their main attacking threats.
An injury sustained with the Fennecs
Bourabaa had been called up by Brahim Hemdani to replace the injured Nabil Bentaleb, again according to Foot Afrique. His first call-up with the national team therefore ended in injury, during a friendly match against Niger.
The operation was carried out successfully, according to Fennec Football. The key point remains: the attacking midfielder’s unavailability is now estimated at a minimum of three months, Foot Africa reports. A timetable that pushes his return back towards 2027.
A flying start to the season
Bourabaa had made a remarkable start to the season in Ligue 1, with 3 goals and 2 assists in 5 matches played, according to Le Petit Lillois. Standout statistics for a 21-year-old player.
The club’s head coach, Patrick Videira, confirmed that it is almost out of the question to see his player back on the pitch before the calendar year 2027, according to Analyse Foot. The coach remains cautious, however: “I’m not a doctor, but it’s possible we won’t see him again this year,” he told PenseBet.
The sources are not entirely aligned: some mention the end of the first half of the season, others an absence stretching into 2027. Between the minimum estimate of three months and the expected return in January, the exact timetable remains uncertain.
LOSC in their sights
Without Bourabaa, Le Mans FC will face a series of important encounters, notably against LOSC in November, Le Petit Lillois reports. Videira nevertheless wants to look ahead: “But I’m sure that when we get Adil back, he’ll be firing on all cylinders and twice as strong,” he told Foot Africa.
His post-operative rehabilitation continues, with a return to competitive action expected in January 2027.