Mohamed Ouédraogo suffers cruciate ligament injury at Lyon

Olympique Lyonnais defender Mohamed Ouédraogo is facing several months out after suffering a ruptured cruciate ligament during training.

The Burkina Faso international sustained the serious knee injury this week, with tests confirming the extent of the damage, according to L’Équipe.

Ouédraogo joined Lyon from Sparta Prague during the summer to strengthen the club’s options on the left side of defence. However, the 23-year-old had struggled to establish himself as a regular under manager Paulo Fonseca.

The defender has made four appearances for Lyon since his arrival, starting two of those matches. He has played only once in Ligue 1.

Ouédraogo was also included in the Burkina Faso squad for the most recent international break but did not feature.

He now faces a lengthy rehabilitation period after suffering the cruciate ligament injury, leaving Lyon without another option on the left flank.

Lyon can turn to Abner Vinicius and Nicolas Tagliafico to cover the position following Ouédraogo’s injury.

The setback comes at a difficult time for Lyon’s defence, with another defender, Moussa Niakhaté, also unavailable for Friday night’s trip to Lens.

Niakhaté suffered a hamstring injury while on international duty with Senegal and left the national team camp early after undergoing an MRI scan in Marseille.

The Senegalese Football Federation subsequently confirmed that the defender would miss the friendly against Comoros.

Unlike Ouédraogo, Niakhaté is not expected to face a lengthy absence.

The defender had played the full 90 minutes in Senegal’s matches against Mozambique and Ethiopia before sustaining the hamstring problem.

His absence will nevertheless leave Fonseca with another defensive decision to make ahead of Lyon’s visit to Lens.

The match at Bollaert-Delelis Stadium comes with Lyon already dealing with limited options in defence.

Ouédraogo’s injury is particularly significant because the left wing-back position had not been firmly settled before his setback.

The Burkina Faso defender’s arrival was intended to provide another option in the position, but his serious injury has now ruled him out for a prolonged period.

Fonseca will therefore have to rely more heavily on Abner and Tagliafico as Lyon manage the remainder of the season without Ouédraogo.

The injury also represents a major disappointment for Ouédraogo, who had been looking to establish himself after moving to Lyon from Sparta Prague.

With the defender now facing several months of rehabilitation, Lyon must adjust its plans for the left side of the team while also dealing with Niakhaté’s shorter-term absence.