Orel Mangala has been named in the matchday squad for Lyon, a move that could lead to his first minutes since he suffered a terrible knee injury while on loan at Everton
Orel Mangala of Everton warms up prior to the Premier League match between Everton FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Goodison Park. The midfielder suffered a season-ending injury at Brighton one week later but is now closing on a return to action back at parent club Lyon. Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images
Orel Mangala of Everton warms up prior to the Premier League match between Everton FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Goodison Park. The midfielder suffered a season-ending injury at Brighton one week later but is now closing on a return to action back at parent club Lyon. Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images
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Former Everton midfielder Orel Mangala could play for the first time since the injury that ruined his stay on Merseyside. The 27-year-old became a useful figure for Sean Dyche during his loan spell from Lyon last season.
And he continued to earn opportunities when David Moyes replaced Dyche in January. Mangala started each of Moyes’ first three games back in charge.
It was in that third match, a narrow, hard-fought at Brighton & Hove Albion, that Mangala suffered the knee injury that ended his season. The midfielder collapsed in a heap on the pitch before attempting to continue after receiving treatment. That experiment quickly ended and he left the pitch looking distraught.
Moyes was clear after the match that the early signs were concerning and over the coming days it was confirmed Mangala had suffered serious anterior crucial ligament damage.
The former Nottingham Forest midfielder returned to parent club Lyon and has been working with the club through the later stages of his recovery.
Lyon are due to face Nantes in a Ligue 1 clash on Sunday night and Mangala has been named in the matchday squad - a major step forward in his work towards a return to action.
Speaking in advance of the fixture, Lyon boss Paulo Fonseca said, in quotes reported by Get Football: “He’s a player who isn’t ready to play a lot of games, but we’ll see if we have the opportunity to start playing him.
“I think he’ll be an important player for us in the future.”
Lyon have since confirmed he will be part of the squad to face Nantes.
The Belgium international was not the only casualty for Everton at the Amex that afternoon, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin also suffering the hamstring setback that ruined his final six months at the club.
The Blues won 1-0 courtesy of an Iliman Ndiaye penalty.
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