Ernest Nuamah returns to Lens on Friday night with the caution of a player who has already faced a far darker battle than an away fixture. Lyon’s Ghanaian forward has rediscovered his acceleration, his confidence and his scoring touch after a year lost to a serious knee injury, giving OL another sharp attacking option for the 20:45 Ligue 1 meeting.
Key takeaways
- Nuamah has scored three Ligue 1 goals and one in the Champions League this season.
- The 22-year-old spent around a year sidelined after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
- He returned to Lyon training on Monday after playing 149 minutes for Ghana during the international window.
- Ghana lost 2-0 to Ivory Coast on 24 September before beating Gambia 4-2 on 29 September, when Nuamah scored.
- Lyon travel to Lens with Ligue 1’s strongest attack and best defensive record.
Nuamah puts the injury behind him
The Ghana international has made 24 appearances for his country and scored five times, but his road back has demanded patience. A rupture of the cruciate ligament in his left knee removed him from action for roughly a year last season and left him uncertain about whether his old explosiveness would return.
Nuamah admitted that the fear was real during his recovery. “Of course I had doubts,” he said. “I would not say there was no apprehension. It took time.”
That hesitation has now faded. The winger said he has emerged from that uncomfortable period and can play with a clear mind again, without being distracted by thoughts about his knee. Support from friends and family was essential while he worked through a lonely spell in rehabilitation.
“The injury is finished for me now,” Nuamah said. “It was difficult, but I am back. I am doing everything I can to help the team because the team needs me.”
His early-season output has matched that renewed freedom. Nuamah has found the net four times across Ligue 1 and the Champions League, while Lyon have built a strong collective platform in the domestic campaign.
A demanding night awaits at Lens
Nuamah returned to club duty on Monday after Ghana’s two late-September fixtures. He played in the 2-0 defeat against Ivory Coast on 24 September, then featured in the 4-2 victory over Gambia five days later, scoring in the latter match.
His attention now turns to Lens, where Lyon expect a hostile and energetic contest. Both sides are competing near the leading positions in the league, and Nuamah is fully aware of the challenge posed by the home side and its support.
“It is a very important match because we know what awaits us there,” he said. “Lens are a very difficult opponent. We are both in the race in the league, and their supporters will push them on. We have to stay united and fight, because they are a team that really attacks.”
For Lyon, the trip offers another measure of their credentials. For Nuamah, it is also a chance to show that the speed and joy that once disappeared in the aftermath of injury are back under the floodlights.
