Samson Baidoo ruled out of Coupe de France final against Nice | OneFootball

RC Lens centre-back Samson Baidoo will miss the Coupe de France final against Nice on 22 May at 21:00 after being injured against PSG on Wednesday. According to L'Équipe, tests on Thursday confirmed he will not be fit in time.

The Austrian, 22, went off at the hour mark with left hamstring pain, a fresh issue after a right hamstring problem that sidelined him between late January and mid-April for 11 matches.

It is a heavy blow for Lens and for Baidoo, who had only just returned from that long absence.

The initial diagnosis is not yet precise enough to determine whether he will be available for Austria at the World Cup. The former Salzburg defender joined Lens for eight million euros including bonuses and is under contract until 2030.

Without Baidoo, the staff have three options to partner Ismaëlo Ganiou and Malang Sarr in central defence at the Stade de France. Arthur Masuaku could play as left centre-back, as he did in three matches in April, or 18-year-old Kyllian Antonio could start, after replacing the Austrian against Paris and showing he was quickly up to speed, as he too is returning from a long absence with a fractured foot. Nidal Celik is another possibility, having covered earlier before the 0-3 derby at Lille on 4 April.

Source: L'Équipe