Gourcuff blow for Lyon and France
Monday, August 20, 2012
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Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Yoann Gourcuff will miss the start of the UEFA Europa League and France's first FIFA World Cup qualifiers after being ruled out for six weeks with a knee injury.
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Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Yoann Gourcuff is set to miss the start of the UEFA Europa League as well as France's first FIFA World Cup qualifiers after suffering a knee injury.
The 26-year-old limped off 12 minutes into Saturday's 4-1 Ligue 1 defeat of ES Troyes Aube Champagne. Scans today revealed a serious knee sprain and ligament damage, ruling him out for "six weeks to three months".
The former Stade Rennais FC, AC Milan and FC Girondins de Bordeaux player, who has suffered from various injuries in recent campaigns, had begun 2012/13 in fine form. He was named man of the match in the French Super Cup win against Montpellier Hérault SC and then scored in the league victory at Rennes on the first day of the season.
However, he will be out when French Cup holders Lyon begin their UEFA Europa League group campaign on 20 September. He will then miss Les Bleus' World Cup qualifying openers in Finland and at home to Belarus next month.
