Lyon have been hit with a significant injury setback ahead of their crunch Europa League quarter-final meeting with Manchester United in two weeks.
Amidst an extremely underwhelming season that currently has United in 13th place in the Premier League table, the Europa League stands as the club’s only opportunity to secure silverware and, as a bonus, earn a spot in the Champions League.
To keep their trophy ambitions alive, United must overcome Lyon in a two-legged quarter-final tie.
The Red Devils secured their place in the final eight with a 5-2 aggregate victory over Real Sociedad, while Lyon thrashed FCSB 7-1 to set up a showdown with Ruben Amorim’s side.
Now, it has emerged that Lyon will have to face United in the first leg on April 10 without Malick Fofana, who picked up an injury during the international break.
French news outlet L’Équipe reports that Fofana suffered a sprained knee while away in action with Belgium.
The 19-year-old is expected to be sidelined for three weeks, meaning he will be unavailable for Lyon’s trip to RC Strasbourg Alsace on Friday evening and the first Europa League meeting with United.
However, Fofana is likely to be back for the return leg at Old Trafford a week later.
The forward has been a key player for Lyon this term, scoring an impressive 10 goals and providing an additional five assists in 35 matches across all competitions. Six of his goals have come in the Europa League.
Last week, the player’s agent, Bobo Fofana, spoke to Africa Foot, comparing his client to United’s own Amad while hinting at a potential summer move to Liverpool or Newcastle.
The agent said, “He possesses qualities similar to those of Manchester United’s Amad Diallo, namely speed, impact, and the ability to create opportunities. There’s no doubt he can make a splash. For him, this would be an opportunity to continue his development and, above all, to showcase his talent in a league that favors transitional play.”
“However, he’ll have to choose the right club, as competition is fierce across the channel.”
“The choice of heart would be Liverpool. He has the potential to enter the rotation, and above all, we would like to see him succeed African legends such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, and Elhadj Diouf.”
“Now, the choice of reason would be Newcastle, a well-structured club that could be a first step to gain experience before, perhaps, joining a club in the top five European leagues.”
More immediate for United is their game away to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.
Featured image Ahmad Mora via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
