Facundo Medina back for OM, offering bite and flexibility for Nantes visit | OneFootball

Facundo Medina is back to add bite and versatility as Marseille open 2026 at the Vélodrome against Nantes on Sunday at 15:00. According to L'Équipe, the defender has put two injuries behind him after a stop-start first half of the season.

Six months after arriving from Lens on loan with a €22m obligation to buy, his bright pre-season, including a goal in his first friendly, quickly stalled. Suspended for the 0-1 at Rennes on 15 August, he hurt his left ankle in training four days later.

He returned after the September break but conceded a harsh handball penalty at the Bernabéu as Real Madrid won 2-1 on 16 September. Two weeks later against Ajax, in a match that finished 4-0, he went off on 36 minutes after a tackle on his right ankle, beginning a frustrating lay-off.

He pushed to return sooner but only made it back in the Coupe de France round of 64 against Bourg-en-Bresse on 21 December, a game that ended 6-0, when his fifth outing of the season lasted half an hour. He now feels right physically and mentally and wants to help on the pitch.

Well integrated and close to Leonardo Balerdi, he brings an exuberant streak that Roberto De Zerbi values while seeking to harden late-game focus. Comfortable on the ball, Medina can play wide or centrally in a back three or four, step into midfield, and mirrors the hybrid movements asked of Emerson.

Source: L'Équipe