AS Saint-Étienne captain Julien Le Cardinal has returned to full training at L’Étrat following a thigh injury, providing manager Ian Cathro with a significant defensive boost ahead of Saturday’s Ligue 2 fixture against Rodez, as reported by peuple-vert.fr.
Julien Le Cardinal resumes training ahead of Rodez fixture
The central defender returned to the pitches on Monday after missing last week’s 5-1 friendly victory against FC Sion. Le Cardinal had been sidelined since September 19, when he was forced off late in a 2-2 draw away at Metz. Speaking subsequently on beIN Sports, the defender confirmed he was dealing with a heavy dead leg. The subsequent international window afforded him the recovery time needed to heal without missing any competitive Ligue 2 fixtures.
Before his injury, Le Cardinal started the opening seven matches of the league campaign, accumulating 626 minutes on the pitch. Alongside Sohaib Naïr, he anchored the central defense that propelled Les Verts to the top of the standings. Manager Ian Cathro now has several training sessions remaining to assess whether his captain is ready to reclaim his starting role for Saturday’s 20:00 CEST (18:00 UTC) kickoff at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
Chico Lamba and international returnees bolster the squad
While Le Cardinal worked his way back to fitness, defensive colleague Chico Lamba used the international break to build valuable match rhythm. The Portuguese defender played the full 90 minutes against FC Sion on Friday alongside youth product Gueye, marking his first complete match appearance since January, according to peuple-vert.fr. This performance gives Cathro a verified alternative in central defense as the club looks to recover from a two-match winless run that featured a 2-1 defeat at Dunkerque and the aforementioned 2-2 draw against Metz.
Squad fitness status before Saturday’s match
Cathro enters the weekend fixture with a largely restored squad, contrasting sharply with prior weeks marked by defensive constraints. Although Le Cardinal’s return to training does not automatically guarantee an immediate return to the starting XI, the availability of both Le Cardinal and Lamba provides the technical staff with tactical flexibility. Les Verts hold their position at the summit of the Ligue 2 table as they prepare to host Rodez, with Saturday evening’s fixture serving as the next checkpoint for the squad’s league campaign.
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