Injured with the Espoirs during the September rally, Quentin Merlin did not participate in OM’s last four matches. The new Bleuets coach gave his version of the facts.
It was a bad surprise for Roberto De Zerbi, the coach of Olympique de Marseille, as well as all the supporters of the Marseille club. During the last international break in September, Quentin Merlin returned from the French team’s two matches injured. On September 6, he participated in the match against Slovenia and injured his thigh, but played the second match a few days later against Bosnia-Herzegovina since a simple crutch was mentioned for the former Nantes player. Finally, on his return to Canebière, his injury was more serious than expected, which did not please OM, who were unable to count on their left side in the last four championship matches. Guest of Génération After on RMC, coach Gérald Baticle spoke about the Quentin Merlin incident.
Baticle defends himself after Merlin’s injury in Espoirs
The former Angers coach believes that Merlin was able to play and that he was even at the maximum of his physical capacities: “Quentin Merlin played the first game and ended up with a bandage above the knee after taking a double hit to the lower quad. He had treatment the next day, a very slight recovery the day after, and the day before the match against Bosnia he did a full session. We spoke with the doctor and with him. He was at 100% of his abilities and so he played. He came off at the end of the match not because of a problem but because we were leading 2-0. He had a great gathering. There was a problem with a blow at one point but we didn’t detect any injury that could have been treated. The integrity of the players is always the priority, we like to recover them and make them fit. Seeing him on the sidelines is disabling for Marseille and for us.”developed the successor of Thierry Henry. OM and the Espoirs are now impatiently awaiting the return of the 22-year-old player.
