Marseille’s Defensive Woes Worsen as Mbemba Remains Out of Favor

Olympique de Marseille’s defensive troubles have escalated following potential season-ending injuries to center-backs Leonardo Balerdi and Luiz Felipe. This leaves coach Roberto De Zerbi with limited options, as Derek Cornelius stands as the only available senior center-back.

Chancel Mbemba, the 30-year-old Congolese international, remains on Marseille’s payroll but trains separately due to legal issues. Despite captaining his national team recently, Mbemba has been excluded from the first team since last summer’s squad overhaul.

Fans and media have called for Mbemba’s return following Marseille’s recent 3-1 loss to Stade de Reims. However, the club continues to pay his €270,000 monthly salary without utilizing his services. According to L’Équipe, Marseille does not view Mbemba as a solution to their current defensive crisis, despite the mounting pressure to reintegrate him.

The situation highlights the complex challenges facing Marseille as they navigate their defensive shortages while maintaining their stance on Mbemba’s exclusion from the team.