Announced as recovered from his quadriceps injury, the former OM, Monaco or Toulouse, Aymen Abdennour, was absent in Dijon on Saturday (1-0 defeat). And it’s far from the first time this season.
Rodez bet big on Aymen Abdennour. He was the flagship recruit of the blood and gold summer transfer window. However, eight months later, we cannot honestly say that the Tunisian’s lease on Aveyron territory is proving to be a great success. Far from it. Indeed, apart from his extremely important goal against his former club, Monaco, in the round of 32 of the Coupe de France, the central defender did not have the opportunity to bring much to the Piton.
20 absences en 30 matches
It must be said that he spent more time on the bench in the infirmary than with his teammates on the lawn… As proof, out of 30 matches played since his arrival (championship and cup combined), the native of Sousse never started only eight with the status of holder. And has been absent from the scoresheet 20 times. Too much for someone of his caliber, who, as a reminder, is to date the only player passed by Rodez to have taken part in a Champions League match in his career (Enzo Zidane was in the list of Real in 2016 -2017, but had not played).
If his physical fragility was already felt at the start of the season, with in particular an injury to Pau during the 11th day, it is even more striking at the moment. Indeed, the number 4 of Raf has not worn the blood and gold tunic since February 18, and the match in Valenciennes (0-0). The latter had suffered a muscle injury to the right quadriceps in training the Wednesday following this meeting. First announced as a withdrawal for the match against Bastia (0-2) at Paul-Lignon on February 25, and uncertain for the match against Tef’ in the cup (6-1) four days later, Abdennour, who part of his re-education in his country, has actually still not played again.
What’s been going on for a month and a half?
However, last week, the club had let it be known that the central was better and that he could finally claim a place in the group for the trip to Dijon this weekend (1-0 defeat). Which ultimately was not the case. Is it, therefore, still because of his injury, his lack of rhythm, or something else? And for example Ramadan, which is currently being debated in French football? Some coaches, like Kombouaré at Nantes, have recently assumed not to summon players who do not break their fast on match days. But according to the Raf, this is not the case for Abdennour. “Other players do Ramadan and are selected. They cut their fast on match days. The question will arise for Aymen when the staff selects him”we were slipped to the club.
About a possible return to the group and in the eleven against Laval, Saturday at Paul-Lignon, Santini did not come forward in a press conference this weekend: “For the moment, he hasn’t done enough training. And then I think that defensively we are good, and that things are going well (without him, editor’s note). And it’s not a defeat that will call everything into question.” Nothing says, therefore, even if he resumed the sessions in Vabre, that the Tunisian will be back on the meadow during the 31st day. But after all, the Raf has learned to do without him, in particular by repositioning his midfielder Bradley Danger behind.
