Maxi Oyedele makes Strasbourg Ligue One bow against Lens after long lay-off | OneFootball

According to L'Équipe, Polish midfielder Maxi Oyedele, 21, made his Strasbourg Ligue One debut by replacing Diego Moreira in stoppage time of the 1-1 draw with Lens on Friday.

He arrived last summer hoping to offset Andrey Santos’s return to Chelsea after loan, but a stuttering pre-season left him on the fringes. He played 23 minutes at Bröndby in a 3-2 win on 28 August, then stayed on the bench for the 2-3 defeat at Monaco on 31 August.

Progress stalled after a groin issue with Poland under-21s in mid-September. The under-21 coach said in early December that the problem dated back to a Legia Warsaw match in February or March, had been managed with rest rather than surgery, and their medical staff thought an operation would be needed. Strasbourg considered that option but chose conservative treatment, hoping for a second-half return.

Recently the Manchester United academy graduate returned to full sessions. He logged 45 minutes for the N3 side at Mulhouse, a 3-2 win on 14 February, then featured in Monday’s internal match against the Elite group, which finished 1-0.

Against Lens he operated in the right half-space and had three touches, losing none, finding Ouattara, El-Mourabet and Barco. Coach Gary O’Neil felt the change helped Strasbourg regain a little control.

Strasbourg face Reims on Tuesday in the Coupe de France quarter-finals, followed by five matches in two weeks before the March international break. With options at a premium, Oyedele, a six million euro signing, is now in the mix.

Source: L'Équipe