Toulouse Without Akpa-Akpro for Ligue 1 Trip to Lille
Toulouse will be missing Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro for their clash against Lille this Saturday in Matchday 31 of Ligue 1. The Ivorian international full-back is sidelined due to inflammation of the right adductors. “It’s not serious, but we rested JD this week,” Toulouse coach Pascal Dupraz explained at a Thursday press conference. “He needed to recover. He’s not ready.”
The Violets’ coach, recently returned to the Ligue 1 sidelines after hospitalization during Toulouse’s 1-1 draw at Marseille, celebrated his comeback with a resounding 4-0 victory over Bordeaux last weekend. Despite the emphatic win, Toulouse remains in the relegation zone, seven points behind Reims, who occupy 17th place, the first safe spot. Survival in Ligue 1 is still very much at stake as the team travels north.
For Lille, the stakes are different. After a turbulent start to the season, the Mastiffs are gradually climbing the table and now have European ambitions within reach. Under coach Frédéric Antonetti, Lille aims to secure a Europa League spot, making their encounter with Toulouse an important step toward finishing the season strongly.
Toulouse will need to overcome their defensive challenges without Akpa-Akpro, while Lille will look to capitalize on their opponent’s struggles to maintain momentum in the race for European qualification.
