Olympique de Marseille will play big in these next two matches. This obviously applies in Ligue 1 where OM, second two points behind PSG, hope to strike a big blow on the pitch of OGC Nice on Friday, and thus stay in contact with the capital club.
But it is especially in the Champions League that the Ciel et Blanc must not miss next Tuesday. Three weeks after its cruel defeat against Atalanta Bergamo at the Vélodrome, the Marseille club must absolutely win against Newcastle in order to maintain a chance of qualifying for the play-offs.
However, OM is not in the best shape six days before this crucial meeting. The fault lies with a defense where many players will be missing. Besides Facundo Medina, victim of a major sprain of his right ankle at the end of September, two other defenders are on the flank.
Murillo also on the flank
Amir Murillo indeed returned prematurely from Panama, with whom he was to play two qualifying matches for the World Cup against Guatemala and El Salvador. The fault lies with a thigh injury which caused him to miss the two matches against Nice and Newcastle.
But the most worrying case is obviously that of Nayef Aguerd, victim of pubalgia. The Moroccan defender, forced to rest for the next African Cup of Nations which will begin in September, is unavailable for several weeks. A hard blow for the Olympians who will, however, be able to rely on Leonardo Balerdi and Benjamin Pavard in the central hinge, as well as Emerson Palmieri, Ulisses Garcia and Pol Lirola on the sides.
