On October 26, in the match against Strasbourg, Malik Fofana’s career could change. Having suffered a serious right ankle injury as a result of a tackle from Ismael Doucouré, the Belgian winger has not returned to the field since. Having returned very timidly at the end of last season and played only a few matches in the Europa League (8 minutes on March 19) and in Ligue 1 (5 minutes on March 22, then about twenty minutes in May), the Belgian is now seriously worried. Although OL are counting heavily on him, especially after selling Afonso Moreira this summer, one question keeps coming up: when will Malik Fofana finally be able to play properly again?
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Just a year ago, the Belgian international was Lyon’s most valuable player. Persistently courted by Manchester United and several major European clubs, he decided to continue his adventure in Rhône in the hope that his ratings would rise even further. A decision that today looks like a turning point in his career. Following this injury, Fofana has struggled to continue playing and his lengthy absence is starting to cause real concern among Lyon fans.
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“Malik Fofana started this season in pain again”
This Wednesday, Paulo Fonseca did hint that his player is going to return in a friendly match against Servette (2-1). As a result, the Belgian winger did not even appear in the match report. A new disappointment that irritates supporters who feel like they’ve been hearing the same promises for months. The Portuguese technician explained the situation. “I said that today he needs to play maybe a few minutes and I always try to tell the truth as much as possible. Two days before the match against Servette, Malik exchanged views with his surgeon. There are still doubts in the medical sector at the moment. Malik is definitely better. But the surgeons, the Englishman who saw him on his last day in England, and the Frenchman who operated on him, should meet and discuss the possibility of him playing again with us. I hope everything ends well. For now they have decided that he must continue to work to progress. We still have to wait.”
Fonseca then made a confession that was not at all reassuring. When asked about the delay in the player’s preparation, the Lyon coach admitted that the situation was worrying: “Yes, that’s true. But he should be with us much longer. The truth is that the player started this season again in pain. He is better. But the surgeons must note this.” Comments that confirm that the case of Malik Fofana is now a real source of concern in Lyon, where today no one can set a date for his real return to competition. For a player, this ankle injury can completely ruin his career, although we obviously think of the cases of Abou Diaby and Gueida Fofana, whose careers were turned around after an injury significantly weakened their ankle.
Pub. and 07/16/2026 13:13
– Updated 07/17/2026 00:42