Man United will face Lyon in the Europa League quarter-finals next month as they look to keep their disappointing season alive.
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Malick Fofana of Olympique Lyonnais celebrates
Lyon winger Malick Fofana will miss the Europa League first-leg clash against Manchester United
(Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
Lyon have suffered a major injury blow ahead of their Europa League quarter-final tie against Manchester United.
The Reds will be looking to keep their season alive when they travel to Lyon for the first leg of their last-eight clash on Thursday, April 10. Ruben Amorim's side are set to miss out on European qualification through the Premier League but can secure a place in the Champions League if they win this season's Europa League.
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United's hopes of triumphing in the final on May 21 in Bilbao will have been boosted after their impressive 5-2 victory on aggregate against Real Sociedad in the last 16.
And those hopes have been handed a further boost after reports in L’Équipe that key winger Malick Fofana will be ruled out with injury. Fofana suffered a sprained knee whilst on international duty with Belgium and is set to be out of action for three weeks.
However, the report adds that he should be fit for the second leg at Old Trafford on April 17. Fofana has scored 10 goals and provided five assists in 35 appearances across all competitions this season.
The talented teenager could seal a move to England this summer with his agent, Bobo Fofana, recently confirming that forward’s dream destination is United's rivals Liverpool. He also mentioned Newcastle as a “choice of reason," while comparing the young star to United's Amad.
“The choice of heart would be Liverpool," he told AfricaFoot. "He has the potential to enter the rotation, and above all, we would like to see him succeed African legends such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, and Elhadj Diouf.
"Now, the choice of reason would be Newcastle, a well-structured club that could be a first step to gain experience before, perhaps, joining a top-five European club.
“He has the profile to succeed in the Premier League. He possesses qualities similar to those of Manchester United's Amad, namely speed, impact, and the ability to create opportunities. There's no doubt he can shine. For him, this would be an opportunity to continue his development and, above all, to showcase his talent in a league that favours transitional play.
"However, he'll have to choose the right club, as competition is fierce across the Channel.”
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