Lens defender Samson Baidoo suffers left thigh injury in friendly, to miss Italy training camp

Samson Baidoo perfectly embodied his first name during the first part of last season. The Austrian defender appeared indestructible, the perfect successor to his compatriot Kevin Danso in the Lens defensive line. But cracks appeared in the framework at the start of 2026, forcing him to leave his teammates to fend for themselves for over two months, notably during the Coupe de France final against Nice (3-1).

The 22-year-old rock was determined to write a new chapter in his northern adventure with the Champions League in his sights. However, during a friendly match against Charleroi (2-2) on Saturday, played in a sold-out stadium in Avion (4,300 spectators), Baidoo grimaced while attempting to recover a harmless ball during a routine run with little intensity. He touched his left thigh, then placed his hand on his hamstrings before collapsing to the ground.

He took his time getting up, visibly deeply affected by the situation.

"It's a shame," admitted his coach, Dino Toppmöller. "But we don't know what it is. We'll have to wait a bit for the ultrasound and MRI to find out more. I didn't speak to him because he was too disappointed. I didn't go see him. We need to give it some time because he already had issues last year. It's not easy, but now we have to wait for the results."

The hope is that this is not a relapse of problems that had, incidentally, been one of the points of tension during Pierre Sage's tenure.

Diagnosis Expected Monday Morning

The coach, aware of his defender's impact on the team, had been irritated to see him sidelined when tests showed nothing specific. But Baidoo, like the medical staff, had tempered the coach's eagerness. A too-rapid return in January (missing only one match) sent him back to the infirmary with pain in his right hamstring this time, and alerted him to the importance of considering his personal feelings.

He never truly recovered from it. After only six matches between mid-April and mid-May (five in Ligue 1 and one in the Cup), he missed Lens's crowning moment due to his left thigh—the same one as against Charleroi.

Baidoo began undergoing tests on Saturday, and the diagnosis will be announced by Monday. He therefore should not leave with his teammates this Monday morning for the training camp in Italy at Monza's facilities.