Marseille hit by injuries ahead of biggest game of French soccer against bitter rival PSG
MARSEILLE, France (AP) — For Jonathan Clauss, the France friendly against Chile this week was meant to be pure joy in front of his home crowd.
It ended up as a sour 11-minute experience concluded by an injury that ruled out the defender from French soccer's biggest game this weekend.
Clauss, who plays for Marseille, left the pitch with a torn left hamstring and was forced to watch his teammates' 3-2 win from the sidelines.
The former Lens player is expected to be out of action for up to four weeks at a crucial moment of the season for Marseille, which has big matches lined up against Lille then Benfica in the Europa League following the clash with bitter rival Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.
Marseille was already hit by an injury crisis ahead of hosting PSG at a sold-out Stade Velodrome in a match known as “Le Classique.”
The confrontation became popular during the 1990s when the arrival of prominent players such as Rudi Voeller and George Weah ignited the rivalry. Marseille, the only French team to win the Champions League back in 1993, has fallen well behind since PSG was taken over by Qatari investors in 2011, but the game continues to stir up passion.
According to the league's statistics, PSG has won 11 of the last 14 matches against Marseille in all competitions.
Clauss is just the latest name to join Marseille's injury list. The defense has been severely hit, and it's a big blow before PSG's attacking armada led by Kylian Mbappe sets foot in town.
Alongside Clauss, Bamo Meïté and Amir Murillo have already been ruled out, while Samuel Gigot and Leonardo Balerdi are doubtful. Building a solid backline should give a real headache to interim coach Jean-Louis Gasset, who has managed to put the club back on track since he replaced Gennaro Gattuso last month.
With eight league matches left, seventh-placed Marseille is lagging 20 points behind PSG but can still qualify for next season's Champions League. At the top, PSG has a 12-point lead over Brest and looks all but guaranteed a record-extending 12th league title.
ANTI-RACIST CAMPAIGN
“Let’s end racism!” Following incidents earlier this season, that's the message the league will be hammering at matches in the top two divisions this weekend.
Players will be wearing a special jersey with a badge featuring the word racism crossed out in red. Referees, coaches and other match officials will wear a special armband, while the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 competition badges will change to black and white colors.
The league said this weekend's action will be followed by an auction on April 3 of jerseys worn by the players, with all the profits donated to groups fighting discrimination.
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