Manchester United loanee Eric Bailly was allowed to leave Old Trafford for France with Marseille in search of first-team minutes.
The Ivory Coast international was deemed surplus to requirements by Erik ten Hag who sanctioned his exit from England.
Bailly got off to a flying start with the Ligue 1 side but as has been the norm with him, injuries soon caught up with him in his side’s Champions League tie against Eintracht Frankfurt.
The player has been missing since and was only back on the bench on Friday as Marseille cruised to a 3-0 win against Angers SCO in France’s top flight.
He could play against Sporting Lisbon this week should he be deemed fit enough to feature.
Ahead of the crucial game, Marseille manager Igor Tudor provided an update on the 28-year-old.
Tudor said, “Bailly is very important for us.”
“He arrived late. He doesn’t have the same preparation.”
“I’m really waiting for the World Cup break when he’ll be able to train for a month with us.”
Ivory Coast failed to qualify for the Qatar World Cup, something that could be advantageous to Bailly who can use the time to not only adapt to Tudor’s way of playing but also work on his fitness.
It is in the defender’s best interests to impress The Olympians who have an opportunity to make his loan spell permanent.
Based on certain achievable conditions such as playing time, United agreed for an obligation to buy to be included in Bailly’s contract.
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