Abergel's injury forces Nice to reorganise plans

Fortune has turned cruel on Laurent Abergel at OGC Nice. The French midfielder, recently signed from Lorient, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture in his right knee during Saturday's friendly against Cagliari, after just 17 minutes on the pitch.

Examinations carried out over the weekend and on Monday confirmed the diagnosis: according to the club's official statement, Abergel will be sidelined for several months. The blow arrives at the worst possible time: the captain who had just left Lorient after seven seasons will miss his long-awaited return against his former club in Ligue 1's opening fixture, as reported by L'Équipe.

The absence of the experienced 33-year-old midfielder forces Nice to reorganise their plans heading into the league campaign, losing an important reinforcement brought in to add experience to the squad.