Lyon's Himbert faces six to eight weeks out with severe ankle sprain
Just as the 18-year-old was making his mark at Lyon, a freak collision in Vigo has brought his breakthrough season to a shuddering halt.
Rémi Himbert's breakthrough season at Olympique Lyonnais has been dealt a serious blow after manager Paulo Fonseca confirmed the teenager will miss six to eight weeks with a severe ankle sprain.
The 18-year-old had been growing in importance for Lyon in recent weeks, filling gaps in a thin forward line and doing so convincingly — scoring three goals across Ligue 1, the Europa League and the Coupe de France in ten appearances this season. But his latest outing proved cruelly short. Introduced off the bench in the 67th minute of Thursday's Europa League draw with Celta Vigo, Himbert lasted barely three minutes before Pablo Durán landed on his right ankle, leaving him unable to walk and requiring assistance from the medical staff to leave the pitch.
Fonseca, who hinted post-match that the news would not be good, confirmed the extent of the damage on Saturday. "It is sad for him. He is disappointed. It is difficult," the manager said. "I told him that he now just has to focus on his recovery."
The injury rules Himbert out for the majority of what remains of the Ligue 1 season.