Good news for Barcelona, but not so much for Jonatan Giráldez.
Lyon, Barcelona’s opponent in the Oslo Champions League final, will be without one of its key weapons: Kadidiatou Diani. The French forward has undergone surgery for a knee issue and will miss the continental showpiece.
Diani, a brilliant striker who had been crucial for Giráldez at Lyon, suffered an injury to the lateral ligament of her knee during the second leg of the Champions League semifinal against Arsenal. The problem required surgery, making her participation in the final impossible.
The forward arrived at Lyon three seasons ago with the aim of winning the Champions League after six years at PSG, but she has yet to claim the European crown. Since joining Lyon, she has scored 20 goals in 49 matches, and this season she had been an important figure for Giráldez. In the current campaign, she played 29 games, scoring eight goals and providing four assists, including two goals and one assist in ten Champions League appearances.
Despite the loss, the manager still has plenty of options to field a strong lineup, with players like Becho, Brand, Katoto, Hegerberg, Chawinga, Yohannes, and Dumornay available.
A game-changing player will be absent in Oslo.
