Marseille return from the international break with the noise of a difficult September still echoing around the club. The 2-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on 20 September left OM in the relegation zone, and Bruno Genesio now faces a trip to Troyes on Sunday night with his squad stretched by injuries, uncertainty and suspension.
An injury list grows during the break
OM resume their Ligue 1 campaign at Troyes at 20:45 on Sunday, in the sixth round of the season, after a window in which several international players suffered physical problems.
- Canada defender Derek Cornelius, 28, sustained a serious hip injury in training and is expected to miss around three months. He may not be an automatic starter, but his absence further reduces options in a squad that made no signings during the transfer window.
- Amine Gouiri was taken off early while Algeria beat Zambia 3-1 after feeling discomfort in his thigh. Marseille’s leading scorer this season with four goals returned to the club for treatment.
- There remains no certainty over Gouiri’s condition, although he could still be available to face Troyes.
- Himad Abdelli is also a major doubt after injuring his left ankle during Algeria’s 2-2 draw with Burundi.
- Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg lasted only 10 minutes of Denmark’s 1-0 defeat in Wales. The midfielder appeared to feel the back of his left thigh before being substituted, with the precise diagnosis yet to be made public.
Midfield options reduced to a minimum
Hojbjerg’s issue is particularly concerning for Genesio because Marseille have been depleted in central midfield. Angel Gomes and Tochukwu Nnadi are currently the only fit options in that area.
Nnadi, the young midfielder, had been sidelined by a meniscus injury suffered at Monaco on 30 August but has returned to training. He featured in Saturday’s friendly defeat to Montpellier, who are playing in Ligue 2, with OM losing 1-0.
Other possible solutions remain surrounded by questions. Amine Harit has been monitored after suffering knee pain against PSG, while Geoffrey Kondogbia has not played since the match at Monaco at the end of August but is nearing a return. Mali international Nouhoum Kamissoko, 21, made three appearances last season and could become an option in the middle of the pitch.
Genesio searches for answers before Troyes
The Montpellier result was an awkward one, but there was one encouraging development for Marseille: winger Igor Paixao played after recovering sufficiently from the injury that forced him off against PSG before the break.
With several players still being assessed, Genesio may have to reshape his side again. He used an unfamiliar Bamo Meïté-Alexi Koum central-defensive pairing in the Montpellier friendly, and further improvisation could be required in the Aube.
Marseille will also travel without captain Timothy Weah. He is suspended following the red card he received in the defeat to PSG, adding another absence to an already troubled return to league action.
