Injury woes keep Hamed Traore out, threaten AFCON 2025 participation

Olympique de Marseille head coach Roberto De Zerbi stated that Ivorian attacking midfielder Hamed Junior Traoré is not yet fit to start games.

The player has been sidelined with an injury since mid-September 2025.

The Italian trainer expressed frustration over the injury layoff of the former Bournemouth player. Traoré has missed games in Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League for the French outfit due to the injury. De Zerbi said Traoré will need time to recover.

“Injuries are really the major problem during this period. It is one thing to have two or three, but seven or eight. For Hamed Traoré, it is still too soon. He is not on the road to recovery.”

The attacker might miss the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco if he fails to recuperate in time. The young midfielder has only played one Ligue 1 game, as he is still nursing a thigh injury. If he fails to recover this month, it would be the third time in a row that he misses the AFCON.

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