AS Monaco captain Denis Zakaria set to miss this weekend’s fixture | OneFootball

Adi Hutter has confirmed that club captain Denis Zakaria (27) is set to miss AS Monaco’s encounter with SCO Angers this weekend. There is hope, however, that he will return next week.

Zakaria had been set to start against OGC Nice in the Derby de la Cote d’Azur on Sunday, however, he pulled out of the match just before kick-off. “He was really unlucky, in the warm-up. He took a shot and was then injured in the adductor. It was a high risk to let him play. He complained a lot so we had to reduce the risk. I wouldn’t let him play and it was the right decision,” said the Monaco manager, explaining the former Juventus and Chelsea midfielder’s absence.

Coulibaly could make Monaco return before 2025

He was absent from first-team training on Wednesday and Hutter is pessimistic of the Swiss midfielder’s chances of playing against Angers on Friday. “It is a minor adductor injury. We decided that he couldn’t play (against Nice) because it was too dangerous. I think he is also out of Friday’s game. I hope he is back in the group for the match against RC Strasbourg Alsace or Bologna (in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday) maybe,” he said.

Mohamed Salisu is also out, as is Folarin Balogun. Both are likely to return on the other side of the international break. Mohamed Coulibaly is back in first-team training after suffering a serious knee injury that required surgery back in May. Hutter said that the academy product could make his return to the pitch before the end of the calendar year.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Monaco