Paixao and Harit injured in Classique, OM sinks deeper into crisis

Olympique de Marseille lost Igor Paixao and Amine Harit to injury during the Classique played at the Vélodrome on Sunday evening, a 1-2 defeat to PSG that pushes the club deeper into crisis. With five defeats in six matches across all competitions, OM sits in 17th place in Ligue 1 — equivalent to virtual relegation — and has also conceded five consecutive losses in Ligue Europa.

Brazilian winger Paixao is suffering from a blow to the head of the fibula and is also complaining of muscle pain. He must undergo further tests on Tuesday to determine the length of his unavailability. Moroccan attacking midfielder Harit is affected muscularly and must have an MRI scan during the week.

These two new absences come on top of an already very difficult context for Bruno Genesio. As early as the second matchday of the season, against Monaco, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Tochukwu Nnadi were injured, depriving the Marseille manager of two important midfield players. The summer did not help the club’s situation: forced to sell several players due to an alarming financial situation, OM recorded no reinforcements during the transfer window, leaving the squad without real depth.

If Paixao and Harit are ruled out for the resumption of the league at Troyes on October 11, Genesio will have to turn to Keyliane Abdallah and Tadjidine Mmadi to animate his attacking flanks. Inexperienced options for a club that desperately needs points.