Montpellier defender Boubacar Kiki Kouyaté is set to miss around two months of action after undergoing surgery on his right knee. The Malian international, who had been struggling with discomfort since June, finally underwent the procedure on Friday to address the lingering inflammation that had hampered his performance and availability.
Kouyaté sustained the injury during Mali’s World Cup qualifiers against Ghana earlier this year, and the persistent knee issue has prevented him from playing consistently.
Despite attempts to return to full fitness, the 26-year-old has only managed limited appearances this season.
He started just one match, a crushing 6-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on August 23, and came off the bench in a 3-2 victory against Auxerre on September 22.
Montpellier’s head coach, Michel Der Zakarian, confirmed the surgery in a post-match press conference, saying, “He had his knee cleaned today.”
While the operation was described as minor, it is expected to keep Kouyaté sidelined for several weeks, further depleting Montpellier’s defensive options.
The injury blow comes at a difficult time for the club, which is already struggling near the bottom of Ligue 1.
Montpellier’s defense has already been hit hard this season, with centre-back Christopher Julien ruled out after suffering a cruciate ligament rupture in May.
With Kouyaté now unavailable, Der Zakarian is left with only two professional central defenders: Becir Omeragic and Modibo Sagnan.
The shortage at the back leaves Montpellier in a precarious position, as they currently sit in 16th place ahead of Matchday 7.
Kouyaté’s absence is a significant setback for the club, which has been looking to stabilize its defense after a series of disappointing results.
His leadership and presence in the backline will be sorely missed as Montpellier faces a challenging run of fixtures in the coming weeks.
With the team’s defensive unit stretched thin, Der Zakarian will be forced to rely on less experienced players or explore tactical adjustments to cope with the shortage.
The coach will also be hoping that Kouyaté’s recovery progresses smoothly, allowing him to return to action as quickly as possible.
As Montpellier fights to climb out of the relegation zone, Kouyaté’s absence will undoubtedly add pressure on the remaining squad members to deliver strong performances in the coming games.
