Triple injury blow for Lyon

Lyon will be without defenders Cris and Pape Diakhate and French international midfielder Jeremy Toulalan for Sunday’s clash at French champions Marseille, the club revealed on Monday.

Both Toulalan and Diakhate missed last Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Toulouse, the former with a recurrence of a left thigh injury, but the latter’s absence was not explained.

Cris became a doubt for the Marseille match when the Brazilian veteran finished the Toulouse game with a painful groin.

French international right-back Anthony Reveillere, meanwhile, is another doubt after he went off before the final whistle with a calf problem.

Better news for Lyon was that Argentine attacking midfielder Cesar Delgado made a return to action in a reserve game on Sunday, while French international midfielder Yoann Gourcuff is also back in training after suffering an injury in a Champions League match with Schalke three weeks ago.

Lyon are presently third in the title race as they chase their first league crown in three years, two points adrift of leaders Lille, while Marseille are fifth, a further two points behind.