FC Metz’s Nampalys Mendy (34) has suffered a torn quadriceps tendon in his left knee and will be out for several months, the Moselle-based club have announced.

A free agent following his departure from Watford FC last summer, the defensive midfielder had signed for Les Grenats for the 2026-27 season. Having featured in each of the first six Ligue 2 matches, the La Seyne-sur-Mer native had nevertheless watched from the bench as his side secured a hard-fought draw against AS Saint-Étienne (2-2) in mid-September.

With an impressive track record in French football (OGC Nice, AS Monaco, RC Lens) and internationally (Leicester City, Watford), Mendy was seen internally as the ideal candidate to mentor the young Believe Munongo (16).

A Senegalese international with 35 caps, he was notably part of the team that won the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations, starting every one of the five matches he played in, including the final against Egypt (0-0, 4-2 a.e.t.).