Lyon defender Moussa Niakhaté returns from injury to face Crystal Palace

Lyon defender Moussa Niakhaté returns from injury to face Crystal Palace Olympique Lyonnais’ Moussa Niakhaté (30) is expected to be included in the OL squad this Thursday for their Europa League home match against Crystal Palace, Paulo Fonseca announced at a press conference. “He resumed training with us on Tuesday, and again today (Wednesday), albeit at a low intensity, but I think he’ll be in the squad,” said the Lyon manager. Having suffered a hamstring injury during the international break, Niakhaté had to pull out of Lyon’s away match against RC Lens on Friday (a 1-0 defeat). His participation in the clash against the Eagles had therefore seemed in doubt. His return is therefore good news for OL and Fonseca, although the Senegalese defender is still expected to start the match on the bench, with the central defensive pairing of Felix Bacher (25) and Ruben Kluivert (25) set to retain their places against the London club. Niakhaté, regarded as a key member of the Rhône-based squad, has started every one of the eight matches he has featured in since the start of the season. GFFN | Léo Aschi