Marseille return from the international break under the lights at Troyes on Sunday night, but Bruno Genesio must restart the Ligue 1 campaign with a stretched squad and a decision to make on the right side of his defence. Kick-off is scheduled for 20:45, with OM travelling on Saturday evening before the players learn the final line-up closer to the match.
Key takeaways
- Marseille face Troyes on Sunday at 20:45 after the international break.
- Captain Timothy Weah is suspended, leaving the right-back role open.
- Tochukwu Nnadi is expected to make his first league start of the season alongside Himad Abdelli in midfield.
- Ulisses Garcia, Kelyann Bezahaf and Bamo Méïté are the options being considered on the right of defence.
- Genesio intends to retain his tactical system despite a growing injury list.
- Neal Maupay remains in contention after starting two consecutive matches for the first time in 2025.
Genesio confronted by absences
OM had largely avoided major fitness concerns in the opening part of the season, but the break has changed the picture. Derek Cornelius is facing a long-term absence, while Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg is sidelined for an unspecified period.
There are also doubts over several other players. Méïté has sustained an ankle problem in training, while CJ Egan-Riley, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Abdelli, Amine Harit and Amine Gouiri have all had varying physical issues.
“We are getting through it reasonably well,” Genesio said, while accepting that changes are now unavoidable. He also sees an opportunity in the disruption: “Because of circumstances, there will be changes and, even if they are forced, that can sometimes be interesting.”
Nnadi, back after a meniscus injury, is set to benefit. The midfielder is expected to partner Abdelli and could be handed his first starting place of the campaign.
Right-back question and no tactical reset
The clearest uncertainty concerns the vacancy left by Weah. The Marseille skipper is unavailable through suspension, and Genesio has several imperfect solutions.
Garcia, naturally left-footed, was used on the right in the 1-0 friendly defeat to Montpellier on 3 October. He previously filled in there twice under Jean-Louis Gasset during spring 2024. His last Ligue 1 start for Marseille came almost a year ago, in the 1-0 victory away to Auxerre on 1 November 2025.
The staff also rate Bezahaf, the 20-year-old who has recently returned from Algeria Under-23 duty and has been involved in the team’s preparations. A start for him would be his first at senior professional level. Méïté offers another possibility, although his ankle concern leaves his condition unclear.
Despite the personnel problems, Genesio has no intention of rebuilding his approach during this three-week pause. “Changing everything can create instability and doubts in the players’ minds,” he said. “It would be a mistake to alter the system for several reasons. First, we need understanding between the players.”
That leaves the attacking pairing of Maupay and Gouiri less certain. Maupay has just recorded back-to-back starts for the first time since the beginning of 2025, however, and Genesio has indicated that the forward will receive further opportunities during Marseille’s second run of the season: eight matches in 29 days.
