Højbjerg injured in thigh, OM's midfield crumbles during international break

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg had to leave the field after only ten minutes of play on Sunday during Denmark’s away trip to Cardiff Stadium against Wales in the Nations League, struck on the thigh with no apparent contact. The 31-year-old midfielder, captain of the Danish national team, sat down on the pitch before handing over his armband to Joachim Andersen and giving up his place to Andreas Skov Olsen.

This premature absence worsens an already critical situation at Olympique de Marseille. A starter in the first five Ligue 1 matchdays under Bruno Genesio, Højbjerg was one of the central cogs in the Phocaean system. His injury comes as the club occupies a worrying 17th place after five league matches.

The international break has multiplied the bad news for OM. Derek Cornelius will be absent for several months due to a serious hip injury sustained with Canada. Amine Gouiri and Himad Abdelli returned early from the Algerian gathering, the former for muscle discomfort, the latter for an ankle injury. Young Tadjidine Mmadi was also affected while with France U20.

Marseille’s midfield sector is thus decimated just days before an away trip to Troyes. Genesio hopes to rely on the return of Tochukwu Nnadi to rebuild a viable double pivot. The week was capped off by a 1-0 defeat in a friendly match against Montpellier, a Ligue 2 side, in Martigues.