Loïs Openda out for at least a month with a cracked fibula as Lyon blame the referees

At Bollaert on Friday night, Ismaël Ganiou caught Loïs Openda late in the 58th minute. Lyon’s striker stayed down, went off on the hour, replaced by Keito Nakamura, and left the stadium on crutches. Lens won 2-1, Lyon’s first Ligue 1 defeat of the season. On Monday the club confirmed the diagnosis: a cracked fibula in his right leg, and an absence “at least until the next international break”.

Seven matches without him, from Crystal Palace to Brest

The French press expect him back around mid-November, seven games without the striker:

• Crystal Palace at home in the Europa League on Thursday, then Hoffenheim and Real Sociedad in the same competition;
• Nice at home in Ligue 1 on Sunday, then Paris Saint-Germain, Angers and Brest.

“He did not get the protection he needed”

Lyon did not stop at the medical update. “Olympique Lyonnais regrets the treatment its striker has received and considers that he did not get the protection he needed”, the club wrote, adding that referees are “the first guarantors” of players’ physical integrity. Friday’s match produced a single yellow card, shown to Jonathan Gradit in the 50th minute. Michael Gerlinger, Lyon’s general manager, and Olivier Létang, both members of the LFP working group on refereeing, spoke on Monday morning about protecting players.

An attack to rebuild before Thursday

Paulo Fonseca no longer has a recognised centre-forward in his squad. Pavel Šulc can fill in through the middle, but the coach does not see him as a true number 9; Rémi Himbert, 18, left out of the squad at Lens, could return; Keito Nakamura plays on the left, while Julien Duranville, Ernest Nuamah and Kaïl Boudache share the right wing. The shape can move to a 4-4-2, a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3.

The injury shows up first in Sunday’s odds: Lyon remain favourites against Nice at 1.71 with 1xbet (Monday evening’s prices). The most exposed market is Lyon’s goals, over 1.5 at 1.67 with Betano, a price that treats the Lyon attack as complete. 18+. Only bet what you can afford to lose.