Timothy Weah looked to have been back at his best for Ligue 1 side Lille, but the American forward now faces another spell on the sidelines this season.
Lille manager Jocelyn Gourvennec confirmed Saturday after the club’s 2-1 win over Troyes that Weah missed the match due to a quadricepts injury suffered in training Friday. Weah is also set to miss out on Lille’s group stage finale on Wednesday against Wolfsburg in the UEFA Champions League.
“He hurt his muscles on Friday evening, at the end of training,” Gourvennec said postmatch to reporters. “We were awaiting the exam which revealed a muscle injury to the quadriceps. Is he forfeited to Wolfsburg? Yes.”
Weah, 21, was one of the standout stars for the U.S. men’s national team during November’s World Cup Qualifying window, scoring one goal and adding one assist. The forward carried that over to his return to Lille, starting in three of his four appearances, assisting once in a December 1 victory over Rennes.
Lille is unbeaten in seven straight across all competitions, which includes back-to-back victories in Champions League play against Sevilla and Red Bull Salzburg. The club will travel to Wolfsburg on December 8 in its group stage finale, looking to claim top spot heading into the Round of 16.
Weah’s absence will certainly be a major one for Gourvennec’s side this week, especially with a December 12 clash against Lyon coming next weekend.
We would have a hell of a national team if everybody stayed healthy.
agreed! And, for me this is what is so befuddling about some in the fanbase ranting and raving about some of Greg’s call ups, and the lack pf perspective that many have. We have yet to see our “best 11” since Greg’s hire because of injuries, suspensions, and Covid, and it’s been 2 years. Some will argue that we will never be fully healthy, insinuating we’ll never see a best 11, which may be the case, but there still seems to be this need to criticize a manager that isn’t working with a full deck sort of speak, but who I think has done a pretty good job of mixing and matching sets of players to keep uniformity and some semblance of continuity.
Absences due to injury & suspension have always been part of the international landscape. Covid Protocols are part of our current world. I don’t think there are too many who’ve criticized Gregg for players who’ve been absent for these types of reasons.
What most have been critical of are a handful of “His Guys” and/or rosters that have unbalanced depth. Camp rosters without clear back-ups for wide attackers or a back-up # 9s have been one of the decision issues that has plagued the team. The continued inclusion of players who’ve failed to positively impact the team…even after multiple opportunities (Roldan, Arriola, Zardes, Lletget, etc….) are another aspect that has hindered the team. I understand that Gregg is comfortable with these types, and they are comfortable with him, but at some point Gregg has to realize that Hustle & Locker Room presence isn’t enough. He’ll have to include more talented players (Konrad, Luca, etc…) and have a balanced roster (a back-up for each position).
Prime example was the starting XI used against Panama. Yes it was an away game, but most fans saw the line-up and cringed.