Before going to Créteil, this Sunday November 27 (4pm) for the 11th day of Starligue, Montpellier is experiencing its first major retreats.
Launched in a strong start to the season (nine wins to one loss), Montpellier Handball had hitherto been spared retirements for its most important players. But like Nantes with Aymeric Minne or Nikola Karabatic with Paris SG, Patrice Canayer will face his first squad problems this Sunday in Créteil, following the retirements of Julien Bos and Karl Konan.
If the first was to be feared after an injury exit during the last victory against Göppingen (35-27), the second is unexpected and above all much more problematic. “A teammate fell in training on Friday, breaking his fifth metatarsal“explains the technician and general manager. As a result, Bos will be sidelined until half-time with a sprained ankle, while Konan could be sidelined for two months, according to the Montpellier coach.
A real card for the club but also for the player, who may not be able to apply for a well-deserved place in the French national team, who will begin his preparation for the World Cup on December 26, in less than a month.
Relay in defense?
Given the sequence of games to come for MHB, with a double tie against Benfica in the European League and above all the reception of Paris SG in the league in mid-December, the blow is very hard. Especially since, since his arrival from Aix-en-Provence this summer, Karl Konan had become a key part of the defensive system.
«We’re not complaining either, all the teams have this type of problem, it’s up to us to find the right solutions.», relativizes Canayer. But what exactly would they be? The answer is certainly to be found on the sidelines of the Göppingen match on Tuesday, during which Arthur Lenne (21 years old) was very good in the Konan relay, as was the Croatian Veron Nacinovic (22 years old), much better in this sector than since the start of the season.
The rotations involving Julien Bos will, however, be more complicated due to the lack of left-handed players in Montpellier’s ranks. The keys will have to be found very quickly as Créteil faces this Sunday, a team that had beaten MHB last year. Above all, Patrice Canayer’s team will have the opportunity to create a first gap with HBC Nantes, defeated at Toulouse Saturday evening. A golden opportunity.
