Lyon loses to Lens in Ligue 1

Lyon fell to a 2-1 defeat against Lens in the opening match of the sixth round of Ligue 1 on Friday evening at the Bollaert stadium in Lens.

Upcoming Europa League match affected

The loss comes just before Lyon's Europa League match against English team Crystal Palace, which is set for Thursday at 18h45 local time.

Openda unavailable due to injury

Loïs Openda, Lyon's primary attacker, is unable to play in the Europa League match due to an injury he sustained two days ago during a physical confrontation with Lens defender Ismaëlo Ganiou.

Openda's injury details

Openda left the Pas-de-Calais on crutches, with an injury to his right calf. According to L'Equipe, he will have medical imaging tests on Monday to determine if the injury is muscular or involves a bone fracture and to assess how long he will be sidelined.

Impact on future matches

His absence could also affect Lyon's next match against OGC Nice at the Groupama Stadium on Sunday. Openda's unavailability has led to the inclusion of young player Rémi Himbert, who has been reintegrated into the team by coach Paulo Fonseca for the Europa League match.