Europe » Champions League

Yoann Gourcuff To Miss Bordeaux-Juventus, Jeremy Toulalan Out Of Lyon’s Fiorentina Date

Les Girondins and OL have been hit with important injury problems prior to their big midweek games. As well as Gourcuff, Blanc is also sweating over another key component to his squad...

Nov 23, 2009 9:28:56 AM

Champions League: Bayern Munich - Girondins Bordeaux, Gourcuff - Butt (Bongarts/Getty Images)

Photo Gallery

Zoom

Champions League: Bayern Munich - Girondins Bordeaux, Gourcuff - Butt (Bongarts/Getty Images)

Teams

Players

Two of France’s finest clubs go into Champions League ties in midweek shorn of vital players. Girondins de Bordeaux will be without Ligue 1 Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or nominee Yoann Gourcuff for their hosting of Italian giants Juventus, while Olympique Lyonnais will not be able to boast Jeremy Toulalan in their ranks when they tackle Fiorentina.

Gourcuff is absent from the midweek encounter with an adductor problem, the same injury that caused him to miss les Girondins' 1-0 home defeat by Valenciennes – their first league loss at Stade Chaban-Delmas for two years.

“Basically, the nature of the injury is less important [than his previous issue], but it appears that on Wednesday he will not be present. It is a certainty,” head coach Laurent Blanc explained to Football365 after the loss at the weekend.

Moreover, Bordeaux could also be shorn of important forward Marouane Chamakh, who limped off in the first half of Saturday’s game.

“We want to be certain that there is no injury to his abdomen or groin,” the coach asserted.

In central France, meanwhile, Jeremy Toulalan continues to battle an adductor concern of his own. Reports suggest that he had been playing through the pain barrier when turning out for OL during the autumn, and now that their injury crisis is more or less over, he will focus on his own recuperation.

Claude Puel released his squad on the club’s official website, and the destructive midfielder was not named in the panel of 20.

Lyon face Fiorentina on Tuesday. Bordeaux welcome Juventus on Wednesday. Both French sides would secure top spot in their respective groups if they were to win in midweek.

Robin Bairner, Goal.com

Thank you for your comment!

Please enter your name

Please enter your location

Please share your comment!