Diarra: We'll be ready for Trophée des Champions
21/07/2011
Marseille new boy Alou Diarra says the 2009-2010 champions will be ready for the July 27 Trophée des Champions date with Lille. The French international midfielder saw positive signs in Marseille's 1-0 friendly win over Real Betis.
Diarra's fellow French international Mathieu Valbuena scored the only goal of the game in Bayonne on Wednesday, but hurt his ribs in the act of scoring and will require two to three days of treatment before a further assessment can be made.
Valbuena Trophée doubt, Gignac out
It makes Valbuena doubtful for the Tangiers clash with Lille, while striker André-Pierre Gignac is definitely out with a groin injury that the club confirmed means he won't return to full training for another fortnight.
Diarra, signed from Bordeaux in the close season, said: "There was plenty of commitment. We were up against a good team, a Spanish team that play very good football. It was good for us to get back to winning ways after losing to Montpellier.
"There were positive things and, as the days and weeks go by, we are getting stronger and we'll be ready for the start of the Ligue 1 season, even for the Trophée des Champions."
Lack of goals
OM coach Didier Deschamps has seen has side struggle to score goals in the pre-season friendlies with the club troubling the scorers only twice in three matches to date. "It would be better to be scoring more goals," admitted Deschamps. "We need to get used to playing with each other again. We've still got time to work on that. We'll keep working hard physically, and also technically with the ball."
No Lucho news... yet!
Reminded by journalists that he promised news this week on the future of Argentinean playmaker Lucho Gonzalez, Deschamps stalled for time. He said: "Today I have no news for you. But then it's only Wednesday!"