Angers provide update on injured Morocco playmaker Boufal

Angers manager Stephane Moulin said Sofiane Boufal might have suffered a muscle strain or a tear in his thigh after he was stretchered off in their 2-0 win over Lorient.

Boufal could only play 55 minutes of football before he broke down on the field with an injury at the Stade Raymond-Kopa.

Shortly after the Morocco international was taken off on a stretcher, Cameroon-born Ibrahim Amadou also picked up an injury and he was taken off immediately.

While assessing the duo’s injuries, Moulin described the incidents as "bad news" for Angers on a day when goals from Angelo Fulgini and Pierrick Capelle sealed their second straight win in the Ligue 1.

The French coach stated that the injuries could be a consequence of their late signing to the team as they both joined the Black and Whites in October.

“It's hard to tell before the exams, but it looks like it's a muscle strain or a tear,” Moulin was quoted by Foot Mercato.

“This is the bad news of the evening. Especially because just after, it was Ibrahim Amadou who also came out with an injury. He felt discomfort in the ischium.

“It’s less serious [than Sofiane Boufal], but it makes sense. These are players who arrived late. They pay for their lack of preparation.”

Boufal returned to Angers on a free transfer two months ago after finding it difficult to secure a regular playing spot at Premier League club Southampton.

The 27-year-old has returned a goal in five matches for Moulin’s side who are seventh on the Ligue 1 table with 22 points after 13 games.

Amadou, meanwhile, joined the Black and Whites on a season-long loan from Sevilla and he has played in seven Ligue 1 matches so far.

Prior to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon, the Douala-born defender was among the seven players who snubbed an invitation to the Indomitable Lions' set-up.