AS Saint-Étienne will be without central defender Dylan Batubinsika for their upcoming Ligue 1 encounter against RC Strasbourg on Saturday, April 26, after the Congolese international was ruled out due to injury.
Batubinsika has not featured in a competitive match since Saint-Étienne’s heavy 6–1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on March 29, where he played the full 90 minutes.
Since that outing, the 29-year-old has remained on the fringes, appearing only on the substitutes’ bench in recent fixtures and failing to make it onto the pitch.
This weekend, he won’t even be on the bench.
The centre-back has been officially withdrawn from the matchday squad, with club sources citing a calf injury as the reason for his absence.
It’s a fresh setback in what has been a stop-start season for the former Antwerp defender, who has struggled with a combination of fitness issues, suspensions, and tactical exclusions throughout the 2024–2025 campaign.
Batubinsika has missed six matches already this season, and Saturday’s trip to Strasbourg will mark his seventh absence.
Despite these interruptions, he has still managed to register 25 appearances across all competitions, including 23 as a starter—a sign of his importance to the team when fit and available.
His absence will come as a blow to manager Olivier Dall’Oglio, who has relied on Batubinsika’s experience and physical presence at the heart of the defence during critical moments of the campaign.
However, with fitness concerns mounting and options limited in defence, the team will have to look elsewhere for stability at the back as they attempt to finish the season on a strong note.
Batubinsika’s inconsistent availability has mirrored the team’s turbulent run in recent months.
Saint-Étienne, currently navigating the latter stages of the Ligue 1 calendar, are aiming to end their season with consistency and momentum—something that has eluded them, particularly in high-stakes matches like the one against PSG last month.
As the Congolese international works on his recovery, the focus now turns to whether he can return in time for the remaining fixtures of the season.
With his contract situation and future at the club potentially on the horizon, every remaining appearance—or absence—could weigh heavily on both the player’s trajectory and Saint-Étienne’s defensive structure moving forward.
