Red Devil sees Openda in tears after dramatic injury in Lens
Loïs Openda experienced a particularly painful return to Lens on Friday evening. The Belgian striker of Olympique Lyonnais had to leave the field injured after an hour of play and could no longer make his way to the dressing room under his own power. Tears were in his eyes.
Painful return
Before the match, the Stade Bollaert-Delelis welcomed Openda with applause, recalling his impressive 2022‑2023 season at Lens in which he scored as many as 21 goals. His return to the stadium where he experienced one of the best periods of his career, however, turned into a nightmare.
During the match, Openda found it especially difficult against the defenders of his former side. After a strong collision with Ismaël Ganiou he was struck on his right leg, which prevented him from moving normally. He tried to carry on for a short while, but eventually asked for a substitution.
Medical consequences
The footage immediately raised concerns; first he was assisted by members of the medical staff, but because he could barely put weight on his right leg, he eventually had to be carried. Later the Belgian left the stadium on crutches. Medical examinations are scheduled for Saturday to determine the exact nature of the injury.
Loïs Openda injured, the Red Devils leave the pitch
The injury completed an already difficult evening for Lyon. Paulo Fonseca's side lost in Lens 2‑1, their first defeat of the season in Ligue 1 after an unbeaten run of five games. Florian Sotoca gave Lens the lead before halftime, Matthieu Udol doubled the margin and Khalis Merah made the finish even more exciting.
For Openda the news comes at an unpleasant time. He wants to put himself back in the spotlight and, after missing the World Cup, has been called up again for the Red Devils. At Lyon he had already scored twice and provided one assist.
The dramatic turn shows how a player who made the Red Devils shine with 21 goals last season is now faced with uncertainty about his recovery and future availability.