AS Monaco Faces Injury Crisis Ahead of Champions League Opener

MONACO, Monaco — AS Monaco is entering their UEFA Champions League campaign with significant challenges after manager Adi Hutter confirmed that club captain Denis Zakaria will miss several weeks due to an adductor injury suffered during training on Wednesday morning.

Zakaria’s absence is a major setback for Monaco as they prepare to face Club Brugge on Thursday night. Hutter disclosed the news during a press briefing, stating, “This morning, we had bad news about Denis Zakaria. He injured his adductors. We will conduct additional exams and keep you posted, but he will be missing for several weeks.”

The team is further depleted, as Aleksandr Golovin is also out with a hamstring injury, expected to be sidelined for around one month. This exacerbates Monaco’s midfield issues, leaving them thin ahead of the crucial Champions League opener.

In light of these injuries, the club will rely on young talents Lamine Camara and Aladji Bamba to step up during this challenging period. Bamba recently made his first professional start in Monaco’s 2-1 victory over AJ Auxerre.

Adding to the team’s woes, Mohammed Salisu is doubtful after picking up a minor injury in the same match, while goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky is recovering from a knee injury sustained against RC Strasbourg Alsace.

Despite the challenges, there is some positive news as Ansu Fati and Stanis Idumbo have been included in the matchday squad for the first time since their arrivals at the club.

Monaco’s travel plans hit a snag when their chartered flight to Belgium was canceled due to an air conditioning malfunction and other technical issues. Hutter noted, “Thiago (Scuro, CEO of AS Monaco) and I decided that we will go tomorrow. I’ve never experienced that before, but there are some circumstances that you have no influence over.” The team is scheduled to depart from Nice airport on Thursday morning.

The Champions League match against Club Brugge is set to kick off at 18:45 local time.