Forced off in the 24th minute against Lorient
Matthieu Udol did not make it to half-time on Saturday. The RC Lens left-back was replaced by Souleymane Sagnan in the 24th minute against Lorient. The collision came in the 14th minute, in a challenge with Mamadou Kone.
The player initially tried to carry on. The medical team strapped up his right thigh with a hefty bandage. The pain did not go away. Udol eventually signalled to the bench.
Once he was off, he was checked over on his right knee by the medical staff. The detail matters: the bandage was on the thigh, but the examination focused on the joint. No diagnosis has been issued at this stage.
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Four ACL tears already on his record
What makes this worrying is the player’s history. Udol has torn his ACL four times since turning professional. Four. Very few players come back from that sort of ordeal.
Developed and brought through at Metz, he has seen every rebuild derailed by another setback before finally establishing himself as a regular starter. That is why Saturday’s scene was hard to watch for Lens fans.
The club will wait for medical tests before saying more. Nothing yet says the injury is serious. But nothing, either, is offering much comfort.
A Lens defence already running on fumes
Lens had already gone into the match short at the back. Maik Nawrocki has been ruled out long term after an ACL tear confirmed on 3 September. Samson Baidoo is also badly affected. Jean-Clair Todibo, signed without a full pre-season, is not yet at the required fitness level.
Sagnan is now being asked to cover the left side by default. The Blood and Gold are going to have to patch things up at the back for several weeks.
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