Nice have been dealt a blow in their title bid after announcing Younes Belhanda will be sidelined for up to six weeks with a fractured toe.
Belhanda, 26, will miss Nice’s next three matches anyway after being shown a straight red card at the end of their 0-0 draw away to Bordeaux on Wednesday.
With the winter break now underway, the injury could have come at a worse time. It will also mean the Nice forward misses the Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco that is due to start next month, which is actually good news as far as Lucien Favre is concerned.
However, while Belhanda will miss their first three league games through suspension, the Morocco international is now a huge doubt for their potential top-of-the-table clash with Monaco at the start of February.
With Mario Balotelli also suspended for the next three matches after he received a straight red card in their midweek draw, it could be a tricky start to 2017 for the current Ligue 1 leaders.
Having only joined Nice from Dynamo Kyiv in the summer, Belhanda has hit the ground running for his new side, playing a direct hand in six league goals thus far (three goals, three assists).
For more stats on Younes Belhanda, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
