Panos Katseris left the field after 17 minutes as Lorient’s defeat at Le Mans was compounded by an early fitness concern for one of Ligue 1’s most productive creators.
Lorient lost 2-1 away to Le Mans on Saturday night in the fifth round of the Ligue 1 season, with the Greek right wing-back forced off after feeling a muscle problem.
Katseris had already been involved in Lorient’s best early opportunity. After Le Mans opened the scoring, he delivered a precise cross for Ibrahima Baldé in the sixth minute, but the forward failed to direct his close-range header on target despite being unmarked six metres from goal.
The 24-year-old was replaced by Théo Le Bris 11 minutes later. Katseris currently leads the Ligue 1 assists chart with three.
Dujeux unwilling to take a risk
Lorient coach Alexandre Dujeux said the issue arose during the move that produced Baldé’s missed chance.
“He felt pain as he crossed for Ibra,” Dujeux said after the match. “That was the moment he hurt himself, so we took him off immediately. When it is muscular, there is no reason to take risks.
“At this stage, though, I cannot say whether it is serious.”
Lorient will now await further assessment on Katseris, whose attacking output has made him a key figure in their opening weeks of the campaign.
