Author of an excellent start to the season with OM, Quentin Merlin has not played since August 31 with the Marseille club due to a thigh injury contracted with the France Espoirs team.
Olympique de Marseille is not losing its temper. The case of Quentin Merlin sent the Marseille club’s staff into disarray last September. Alerted by a severe pain in his thigh highlighted by the former Nantes player, the staff of the French Espoirs team asked him to grit his teeth to play, as starter and captain, the second match of the international break in September, after having already played 90 minutes in the first match. Gérald Baticle and his medical staff considered that Quentin Merlin only suffered from a harmless crutch, and that he could play without consequences by hanging on.
The medical staff at Olympique de Marseille were shocked when the player returned, noting a significant injury to his thigh. It’s simple, the native of Nantes has still not played again since, and his return could be delayed for a few more weeks, according to Provence. In today’s edition, the regional daily affirms that Quentin Merlin has still not returned to collective training. He should pass this stage next week but a priori, the 22-year-old left back will be too tight for the trip to Montpellier in a week and a half. His return is rather expected against PSG on October 27, and it will do Roberto De Zerbi the greatest good, as Quentin Merlin had established himself during the first three Ligue 1 matches as a centerpiece of his system.
OM are mad with rage against the French team
In private, OM does not hide its impatience at the idea of seeing a returned player “in small pieces” of the international break according to the Marseille medical staff, who do not understand how such risks could have been taken with regard to the player. “He’s working well, things are moving in the right direction, but we also have to pay attention to his feelings, take it day by day, don’t rush anything. For the moment, there is no fire at the lake” explains someone close to the locker room. Unlike the staff of the French Espoirs Team, OM intends to take their time with Quentin Merlin in order to avoid a relapse. So that the former Nantes player is 100% operational and without risk of getting injured again when he makes his return. And without a doubt, the next truces will be watched with patience in Marseille, where the management gave the FFF a huge blow after this episode.
Related News :