Loïs Openda left the pitch in visible pain on Friday night, and Olympique Lyonnais now know the scale of the setback. The Belgian forward has sustained a crack in the fibula of his right leg after Lyon’s 2-1 Ligue 1 defeat to Lens, ending his evening in the 60th minute of the sixth-round match.
Lyon confirmed on Monday that Openda will be unavailable until the next international break. The timetable could keep him out until at least 21 November, when OL are due to travel to Lille.
The club used its medical update to voice anger over the treatment of its striker in the Lens match. Lyon said Openda was repeatedly fouled from the opening stages, yet only one disciplinary sanction was issued. In their view, the forward did not receive sufficient protection before the challenge that has now removed him from action for several weeks.
OL stressed that safeguarding players’ physical welfare must remain a central responsibility for match officials. The statement underlined the club’s belief that referees are the first line of protection when a player is subjected to persistent rough challenges.
Openda had been Lyon’s regular centre-forward at the start of the league campaign, making five Ligue 1 appearances and contributing one goal and one assist. His absence opens a possible route into the side for Keito Nakamura, who has had limited league minutes so far.
The Japanese attacker has already offered a reminder of his value in Europe, scoring when handed a start in Lyon’s 2-1 Europa League victory over Anderlecht. With Openda sidelined, Nakamura may now have a larger role in carrying Lyon through the weeks before the international pause.
