Lyon sidelined by ankle injury to key talent Fofana for several months

Olympique Lyon's young Belgian star Malick Fofana will miss "several months" due to an ankle injury he sustained over the weekend, representing a substantial setback for the team's ambitions in Ligue 1 and European fixtures.

The 20 year old winger was carried off the pitch in pain after his ankle twisted awkwardly during a tackle from Strasbourg's Ismael Doukoure in Sunday's match between the two teams.

Lyon have classified the damage as a "serious sprain to the right ankle" and indicated that Fofana will "likely require surgery that will sideline him for several months".

Doukoure received a straight red card for the incident after a review by VAR, allowing Lyon to secure a 2-1 victory with a last minute strike from Fofana's substitute, Afonso Moreira.

This result positioned Lyon in fourth place in Ligue 1 on 18 points, trailing leaders Paris Saint-Germain by only two points after nine fixtures.

In the Europa League's league phase, they remain one of just three sides holding the full nine points from three outings.

Nevertheless, Fofana's absence extending well into the new year poses a considerable challenge for Lyon, who had depended on his skills following the summer sales of prominent attackers Rayan Cherki and Georges Mikautadze.

Skipper Alexandre Lacazette departed as his deal ended, and amid severe financial woes, Lyon added minimal new faces; the seven time French title holders faced demotion to Ligue 2 over unpaid bills but successfully appealed the decision.

Fofana, involved in Belgium's four most recent World Cup qualifying games, has notched two goals in 12 outings for Lyon this term and tallied 11 in 41 appearances last season.

During the off season, interest came from Everton and Bayern Munich, yet he chose to remain with Lyon.