‘Thank you to the pitch’ – Lens manager Will Still blames Monaco pitch for Anass Zaroury ankle sprain

The Stade Louis II pitch has come in for intense criticism from all quarters, including from AS Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro, who apologised for the state of the pitch, before promising a replacement during the international break.

However, that change will come too late for new RC Lens signing Anass Zaroury (23). The Morocco international, recently signed from Burnley, fell victim to the pitch in the first half and was subsequently taken off. Speaking post-match, Lens manager WIll Still stated that he believed that his new signing had suffered a sprained ankle. “Anass twisted his ankle when putting his foot down,” said Still in a press conference, attended by Get French Football News.

The Anglo-Belgian manager added, “Thank you to the pitch. Playing on a pitch like that is unacceptable in Ligue 1.” Still will now be without Zaroury but for exactly how long remains unclear with the player set to undergo further tests before setting a return date.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle