How Lille will cope without their talismanic striker Hamza Igamane

When Lille’s Moroccan marksman Hamza Igamane went off injured in the 1-0 win against Marseille on Friday after only 26 minutes, the signs did not appear to be positive.

Three points against Marseille was accompanied by a negative

The striker swapped Scotland for France this summer when Lille paid Rangers just over £10million after scoring 16 goals in 46 appearances across all competitions. That transfer was subsequently activated by Hall of Famer Jonathan David’s departure to Juventus on a free transfer.

However, manager Bruno Génésio and Co could be dealing with a big void to fill. Igamane has already been ruled out of Thursday’s match with a groin injury, but according to recent comments from the main man in the Les Dogues dugout, it could be a longer spell in the treatment room.

“Hamza Igamane came off prematurely against Marseille, feeling pain in his groin. As for how long he’ll be out, I can’t say more at this stage. A decision about the AFCON will be made in full coordination between both medical staffs, Morocco’s and ours. It’s hard to give a timeline”.

What Lille will miss without Hamza Igamane

Only Ludogorets Razgrad’s Petar Stanić has scored more goals (5) than Igamane’s four in the Europa League this season, in addition to being Lille’s top scorer in Ligue 1.

The attacking asset has scored nine goals and contributed two assists in 18 appearances across all competitions. In black and white, that simply explains how much of a potential loss he could be over the remainder of the season.

The French outfit have triumphed in their previous four matches, but have ended up on the losing side in three of their last four away days across all competitions, so another away day, especially without Igamane, could spell their disastrous.

Génésio’s comments certainly don’t inspire much any confidence either for Lille and/or Morocco fans. The Moroccan international has seven caps for his country, which has included two goals against Niger and Zambia.

Who is in line to fill the void left by Igamane

However, it appears he won’t be finding the back of the net, it sadly looks like, for the foreseeable future. So, who is now next in line to replace Igamane?

Veteran striker Olivier Giroud replaced Igamane against Marseille and now could begin the match against Young Boys, if Génésio deems fit.

The 39-year-old, who is France’s all-time leading goalscorer with 57 goals, is still making his age appear simply a number. Five goals in 18 appearances don’t initially appear significant, but he has been playing second fiddle to Igamane, which makes for more sensible reading.

Lille have been unlucky losers in Europe

Lille take on Young Boys in Switzerland in the Europa League on Thursday, sitting only a point away from the automatic qualification positions for the Round of 16 stage. Lille have beaten Dinamo Zagreb, Brann and Roma across this season’s competition, but have fallen to defeat at the hands of Crvena zvezda and PAOK.

Lille have made five appearances in the Europa League, with their best-placed finish coming on their debut in the competition back in the 2009/10 campaign. Prior to the 2025/26 campaign, the Mastiffs’ last appearance in the competition saw them knocked out in the final qualification round by Ajax in the 2020/21 campaign.

Lille have never lifted a piece of European silverware, with the Mastiffs’ closest miss coming on four respective occasions in the Round of 16 across the Champions League and Europa League. One of those aforementioned appointments came in UEFA’s pinnacle club competition last season when they were knocked out by Borussia Dortmund.

Currently in fourth position in the Ligue 1 standings, but only five points behind leaders Lens. More notably, Génésio’s side are the same number ahead of their nearest Champions League qualification challengers, Lyon, after winning nine of their 15 matches.

While Lille have lifted the Ligue 1 title more recently than Lens, who are seeking winning the title for the first time in 28 years, there is every chance that Les Dogues could repeat their success from the 2020/21 campaign.

We’ve already touched on how Lille are travelling in Europe. So, all there is left to say is, can Lille achieve the pre-season unthinkable of lifting both major domestic and European trophies?