Mired in an injury crisis, Olympique de Marseille feared the worst when Chancel Mbemba (29) withdrew from Sunday’s Le Classique defeat against Paris Saint-Germain. Whilst the knee injury suffered by the centre-back is not as bad as initially feared, Mbemba is nonetheless expected to miss Friday’s match against Lille OSC.
Without Bamo Meïté, Jonathan Clauss and Micheal Murillo, Leonardo Balerdi and Samuel Gigot made last-minute recoveries, which allowed them to compete in the 2-0 defeat against PSG at the Vélodrome. However, Mbemba was withdrawn in the second half. Unable to walk, he was helped off the pitch by OM’s medical staff.
Tests on Monday revealed that the injury was not serious. Only a contusion has been noted, meaning that he will not face a long spell on the sidelines. However, L’Équipe understands that Mbemba will not be risked against Lille and will instead be rested ahead of next Thursday’s UEFA Europa League encounter against Benfica.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle