Marseille midfielder and captain, Valentin Rongier, 28, was operated on this Monday in Lyon for a fracture of the patella of his left knee. The Marseille player, injured against Lille (0-0) on November 4, will be unavailable for three months.
The procedure was carried out at the Jean-Mermoz private hospital in Lyon by Doctor Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet, an authority in the field, who officiates at the Paul Santy orthopedic center in Lyon at the Mermoz hospital. Following a shock received at the end of the match at the Vélodrome against Lille, Rongier presented a “small bone tear” in his left knee, according to OM.
Forced to do without Rongier, who has started all of OM’s matches since August 12, coach Gennaro Gattuso reorganized his team and opted for a 4-2-3-1 for the team’s last two outings. OM, against AEK Athens (2-0) in the Europa League on Thursday evening in Greece, then against RC Lens (0-1) at the Bollaert-Delelis stadium for the 12th day of Ligue 1 on Sunday. In midfield, the Italian coach notably formed a Kondogbia-Veretout tandem and used Harit in No. 10.
The momentary loss of “guide” Rongier obviously affected his teammates. “We think of Valentin, for everything he brings us, he is our captain, he has that extra soul,” greeted Leonardo Balerdi at the microphone of RMC Sport after Marseille’s victory over AEK on Thursday evening. A little earlier in the evening, after Mbemba’s opener in Athens, the Marseille players gathered near the Marseille bench and passed their teammate’s jersey from hand to hand.
