Lyon’s Orel Mangala nearing long-awaited return | OneFootball

Orel Mangala’s (27) loan spell was cut brutally short when he suffered an ACL injury back in January. On loan at the Toffees from Olympique Lyonnais, he returned to the latter but has still yet to make his return. 

Mangala has not played a single minute of football this season. He played 21 times for Everton last season while on loan, but his last game for the Merseyside club came at the end of January. He has yet to return from his serious knee injury and Paulo Fonseca has always been cautious when speaking about the Belgium international’s return, stating that he is still struggling to train. 

However, he has now been training with the first team for several weeks and sources have indicated to Foot Mercato that Mangala could return as early as December. In any case, Lyon are not looking to recruit in midfield, opting instead to count on Mangala’s impending return. Fonseca has already expressed a desire to utilise the former Nottingham Forest midfielder, once he returns to the fold. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle