Gent defender Bachir Ngom is facing a long spell on the sidelines with a serious knee injury. The player ruptured his cruciate ligaments in the match against Standard Liège and will be unavailable for at least six months.
The injury occurred before half-time in the game that Gent eventually won 2-1. Ngom had to be replaced after just half an hour by Maksim Paskotsi. A subsequent medical scan confirmed the severity of the damage.
Manager Rik De Mil now loses a defensive pillar who was only signed this summer. Ngom had quickly established himself as a key starter in the backline alongside Christian Burgess and Siebe Van der Heyden. That solid defence has contributed to the 19 points from seven games that sees Gent currently top the Jupiler Pro League table, holding a three-point lead over Union St. Gilloise.
De Mil must now find a solution for the coming months. The next assignment is an away fixture against Zulte Waregem on October 10th. The full fixtures schedule for the Buffaloes is available on our site.
The loss of Ngom comes at a critical time. The league leaders are looking to maintain their strong form, having won four and drawn one of their last five league matches. The injury appears to have already ended the defender's season. The manager will have to reconfigure his squad in the coming weeks to preserve defensive stability.
Read the full report at VoetbalPrimeur.be
