Why Hamed Traoré Missed OM-Nice: Illness Confirmed by Marseille

Hamed Junior Traoré was left out of Marseille’s squad for their Ligue 1 match against Nice on Sunday evening due to illness, the club confirmed in its official group announcement.

The Ivorian midfielder, who joined Marseille on loan from Bournemouth in January 2025, was among seven players absent for the 31st matchday fixture at the Stade Vélodrome. Marseille published its traveling squad ahead of the 8:45 p.m. Local time kickoff, listing Traoré as unavailable.

According to the club’s statement, Traoré had been added to the injury list after initially being expected to feature. Earlier in the week, coach Habib Beye had named six players ruled out through injury: Nayef Aguerd, CJ Egan-Riley, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Bilal Nadir, Amine Gouiri, and Igor Paixao. Traoré’s absence made it seven in total.

The confirmation came shortly after midday on matchday, with local outlets reporting that Traoré had fallen ill and was unable to travel with the squad. His non-appearance surprised some observers given the attacking absences already confirmed, which had opened potential opportunities for him to start.

Traoré had shown signs of returning to contention in recent days, having been seen training with a heavy bandage around his knee during a media-open session at La Commanderie on Friday. Despite the visible precaution, he had expressed hope of contributing against Nice, particularly with several senior attackers unavailable.

His omission continues a difficult season for the 26-year-old Ivory Coast international, who has struggled with consistent availability since arriving in Provence. Prior to this match, Traoré had made 12 appearances and scored two goals for Marseille in all competitions during his loan spell.

The absence of Traoré meant that Mason Greenwood, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Ethan Nwaneri led the attacking options for Marseille, supported by young talents Ange Lago, Ugo Lamare, and Tadjidine Mmadi in the forward line.

Marseille’s defensive line was also depleted, with Aguerd, Egan-Riley, and Medina among the unavailable backups, forcing head coach Beye to rely on a reshaped back four. In midfield, the absence of Kondogbia and Nadir further limited options, though Southampton loanee Romeo Lavia was not listed among the absentees in the official report.

For Nice, the match represented an opportunity to capitalize on Marseille’s injury crisis. The visitors entered the game with a relatively intact squad, though specific availability details for the away side were not disclosed in the Marseille-focused reports.

The result of the match and any subsequent updates on Traoré’s recovery timeline were not included in the verified sources consulted for this report. Marseille’s next official communication regarding player availability will come ahead of their following Ligue 1 fixture.

As of the latest confirmed information, Hamed Junior Traoré remains listed as unavailable due to illness, with no further details provided on the nature or expected duration of his condition.

What does this mean for Marseille’s attacking options moving forward? How might the continued absence of key players like Traoré influence squad selection in the coming weeks?

Stay updated with Archysport for the latest verified developments on player availability and team news from Ligue 1.