Malick Fofana has played just 15 minutes since suffering a severe sprain to his right ankle last October, and the Olympique Lyonnais winger is already back in the treatment room. The prospect of a virtually lost season is looming.
Injuries to numerous potential first-team players have dealt a massive blow to Olympique Lyonnais, who were knocked out of the Coupe de France and the Europa League, and have since stalled in the league in recent weeks.
One player in particular has been stuck in the treatment room for ages: winger Malick Fofana. What’s more, barely back on the pitch, the Belgian international has already had to go under the knife again.
Fifteen minutes into the game and Fofana is out again
In a statement on Monday, OL said that “Malick Fofana underwent minor surgery on his right ankle to remove the surgical hardware inserted during his operation last October”. The former La Gantoise player, who suffered a severe sprain to his right ankle on 26 October, has played just 15 minutes since then, against Celta Vigo (0-2) and Monaco (1-2).
Indeed, ahead of the match against Monaco, Fofana had complained of the pain returning. His manager, Paulo Fonseca, had promised to bring him on only if necessary; which was the case, as ASM took the lead after the break. But this new spell on the sidelines, estimated at two to three weeks, will set the Belgian back once again.
Almost six months out
Having missed the games against Angers and Lorient, and with his availability for the trip to Paris looking very doubtful, Fofana is set to return at the end of April, further jeopardising his chances of making Rudi Garcia’s squad for the World Cup. He will therefore have played virtually nothing during the six months following the nasty tackle from behind that Ismaël Doukouré inflicted on him during Lyon’s league victory over Strasbourg (2-1).
Fofana was expected back on the pitch by the end of January, but his absence dragged on; he only returned in mid-March, though not yet ready to play without hesitation. For Lyon, it was the season’s star player who collapsed (but who has reinvented himself), given that the Rhône-based club chose to offload Georges Mikautadze in the last summer transfer window rather than the 21-year-old winger in order to save their own skin.
