LOSC Lille faces squad shortages for Ligue 1 opener against Angers

LOSC Lille faces several squad challenges ahead of their Ligue 1 season opener against Angers this Sunday. Manager Davide Ancelotti will be without Benjamin André and Matias Fernandez-Pardo, both of whom are serving suspensions due to yellow card accumulations from the previous season.

Fernandez-Pardo is reportedly seeking a departure from the club following an interest from Atlético de Madrid, which allegedly made an offer exceeding €40 million. Additionally, Hamza Igamane remains sidelined with a serious knee injury, and Tanguy Nianzou is currently unavailable for physical reasons, though he is expected to return to the group next week.

On a positive note, veteran striker Olivier Giroud has returned to collective training and is expected to be available for the match. Despite a recent minor knee knock sustained during a match against Everton, club medical assessments confirmed the impact was benign.