No indication Bombito will be available for Canada’s upcoming friendlies
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Although there were no significant concerns following a recent MRI on the stress fracture in his tibia, Moïse Bombito will still be sidelined three more weeks as he’s now set to return to Nice’s first-team training following the international break in early September, sources tell TSN.
There’s also no indication the 25-year-old central defender will be available for Canada’s upcoming two European friendlies against Romania in Bucharest on Sept. 5 and against Wales in Swansea on Sept. 9.
Bombito was diagnosed with a stress fracture back in mid-July, although it had been a lingering issue since the end of the Ligue 1 season. Add that to wrist surgery in late May to repair a break he played through toward the end of the season, and recovery and rest were Bombito’s priorities this summer. He did not play for Canada in June’s Canadian Shield or the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Notwithstanding those injuries late in the season, Bombito made 35 appearances in all competitions in his first season in France.
This season, a healthy Bombito is not only crucial for Nice and its defence, but he’s also mightily important to Canadian head coach Jesse Marsch’s plans ahead of next summer’s home World Cup.
Canada’s coaching staff has made it a priority to empower Bombito to become a more vocal leader in the middle of Canada’s defence following his Gold Cup absence and the team's quarter-final loss to Guatemala.
Marsch recently posted a selfie of himself and Bombito following the coach’s trip to meet the defender in France.
Nice were eliminated by Benfica from Champions League qualifying 4-0 on aggregate last week and lost their Ligue 1 opener to Toulouse this past weekend. Nice have two more leagues games, against Auxerre and La Havre, before September’s international break.