Antoine Mendy Suffers Serious Knee Injury in Nice's Draw with Le Mans

Nice’s 1-1 draw with Le Mans has come at a far higher price than two dropped points. The club have lost defender Antoine Mendy for several months after the Senegal international tore the cruciate ligament in his left knee.

The diagnosis was confirmed on Sunday, when scans backed up the worst fears of the medical staff. Mendy had gone down awkwardly on his left leg during the game, immediately signalling that something was badly wrong.

He had only just come on, introduced from the bench with around 15 minutes to play, tasked with helping to see the match out. Instead, he never made it to full time.

Mendy left the Allianz Riviera in obvious agony, clutching his knee and needing assistance as he made his way off the pitch. The images told their own story; the tests the following day simply put a brutal name to it.

Nice must now plan without him for a long spell. The club have confirmed that the cruciate injury will sideline the defender for months, with the exact length of his absence dependent on how surgery, treatment and rehabilitation unfold.

A frustrating draw has turned into a damaging night. Nice didn’t just let a win slip away against Le Mans – they lost a defender whose season has been abruptly thrown into uncertainty.