Senegal and Nice defender Antoine Mendy ruled out for lengthy spell with ACL injury

OGC Nice have been dealt a major injury blow with Senegal defender Antoine Mendy set to spend lengthy spell on the sidelines after picking up a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury.

The 22-year-old centre-back sustained the injury during Nice’s 1-1 home draw against newly promoted side Le Mans FC on Saturday night.

Mendy was forced to undergo medical examinations on Sunday, with the results confirming the club’s worst fears after he was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his left knee.

The injury represents a devastating setback for the young defender, who has developed into an important member of the Nice squad after progressing through the club’s academy system.

“This is heartbreaking news for Antoine, who grew up at Nice. He progressed through all the stages there before realising his dream of wearing the red and black jersey with the pros,” the club said.

Mendy’s injury overshadowed the draw against Le Mans, a match in which both teams continued their search for a first victory of the new Ligue 1 campaign.

The visitors took an early lead through Adil Bourabaa before Elye Wahi found the equaliser for Nice to ensure the points were shared.

However, the result was secondary to the concerns surrounding Mendy, whose absence will be keenly felt by head coach Olivier Pantaloni.

The 22-year-old was a regular feature for Nice last season and made an impressive 40 appearances for Les Aiglons across all competitions.

His consistency and growing importance to the team had made him one of the club’s promising young defenders, making the timing of the injury particularly unfortunate.

Mendy’s absence also compounds Nice’s growing injury concerns, with the club already having to deal with another serious knee injury.

Laurent Abergel suffered an ACL tear during pre-season and remains unavailable, meaning Pantaloni has now lost two players to long-term knee injuries.

The Nice coach will therefore have to find solutions within his squad as the team looks to improve its fortunes following a difficult start to the Ligue 1 season.

Nice will next travel to face Auxerre next Saturday, still searching for their first league victory of the campaign.

While the team prepares for its upcoming fixtures, Mendy will now begin the long road to recovery, with an ACL injury expected to keep him sidelined for several months.

The immediate focus for the defender will be successful rehabilitation, with Nice hoping one of their academy success stories can return stronger after overcoming the biggest injury setback of his young professional career.