Maik Nawrocki’s ACL blow deepens Lens centre-back crisis, Samson Baidoo injured and Jonathan Gradit only just back | OneFootball

Maik Nawrocki’s ACL blow deepens Lens centre-back crisis, Samson Baidoo injured and Jonathan Gradit only just back | OneFootball

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·3 September 2026

Maik Nawrocki’s ACL blow deepens Lens centre-back crisis, Samson Baidoo injured and Jonathan Gradit only just back

Article image:Maik Nawrocki’s ACL blow deepens Lens centre-back crisis, Samson Baidoo injured and Jonathan Gradit only just back

RC Lens have lost another centre-back after Maik Nawrocki suffered a serious knee injury, further stretching an already fragile unit.

According to L'Équipe, the Polish defender complained more about his adductor than his left knee during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at La Meinau, even though the knee was bandaged at half-time. Toppmöller was not overly worried then.


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Midweek tests revealed a complete anterior cruciate ligament rupture. Signed from Celtic this summer for €2.5m, Nawrocki faces at least six months out and will undergo surgery in Germany on Friday.

Samson Baidoo is also injured, while Jonathan Gradit is only just back. The centre-back pool is under strain.

Toppmöller is therefore forced to improvise as he navigates this run of defensive setbacks.

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”

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