RC Lens centre-back Ismaëlo Ganiou, who is eligible for Burkina Faso, is a major doubt for the Champions League trip to Bruges after injuring his left knee in the 3-1 win at Troyes.
RC Lens won 3-1 at Troyes, thanks in particular to two assists from Florian Thauvin, who now has 7 assists this season. The Artesian club therefore got back on track in Ligue 1 with a second consecutive win. The victory came at a physical cost, however.
Ismaëlo Ganiou went off injured in the 81st minute, after an awkward landing following a sliding tackle. The problem goes beyond his own case, though: the Lens defence is already decimated by the absences of Maik Nawrocki and Jonathan Gradit, and two other defenders came off hurt, Jean-Clair Todibo (cramp) and Ruben Aguilar (blow to the left ankle), according to Footeo News.
Ten minutes a man down
Ganiou’s exit complicated the end of the match. Lens had already used all five substitutions: the team therefore had to play the last ten minutes a man down, according to AllezLens.fr. Treated by the medical staff, the defender was able to walk again, but only with difficulty, at the end of the game.
Assistant coach Yannick Cahuzac gave a cautious assessment: “There will be tests tomorrow. Right now, it’s complicated. He can still walk, so we’ll take stock tomorrow. I don’t want to alarm you or tell you everything is fine. I don’t know, he had trouble coming off. Afterwards, he was treated by the doc, he seems a little better.”
A weakened defence
The schedule offers no respite. This physical setback considerably weakens the Artesian squad before their return to the European stage, Footeo News points out. With Nawrocki and Gradit already out, Todibo and Aguilar hurt, the Lens central defence is missing several of its elements just days before a European away trip.
Tests Monday, Bruges Wednesday
Ganiou is due to undergo in-depth radiological tests on Monday 19 October to determine the exact length of his absence, according to L’Équipe. These tests will give the first indication of the extent of the problem.
The next fixture is set for Wednesday 21 October at 21:00, with Club Brugge v RC Lens in the Champions League. Until then, the length of Ganiou’s absence remains unknown.