Banned then recalled, Abdallah rejoins OM squad before Leverkusen

Keyliane Abdallah returned to training with OM’s professionals on Monday at La Commanderie, just one week after being sent to the reserves by Bruno Genesio. The 20-year-old winger is expected to be included in the squad that travels to Leverkusen on Thursday for the Europa League.

The young forward’s exclusion followed two performances deemed insufficient: an unconvincing display in the European match against Sturm Graz, then a role in Marseille’s near-collapse against Le Havre. OM, which had led 4-0, almost let victory slip away (4-3) in the final quarter-hour, drawing sharp criticism from Genesio on several young players, including Abdallah and Nouhoum Kamissoko.

To set things straight, the OM coach sent the winger to play two matches with the reserves — one in the Challenge Espoirs, one in National 2 — under Romain Ferrier’s supervision. The punishment lasted just one week.

Abdallah’s return to the professional squad is significant given his Europa League record: three starts in three matches, and the only Marseille goal in the competition, scored against Besiktas. These arguments apparently weighed on Genesio’s decision to give him another chance at Leverkusen.

OM approaches this trip on a positive run in the league, with four consecutive Ligue 1 victories, even if the performance level has not always matched the results.