Lyon's Gourcuff injured again

Lyon midfielder Yoann Gourcuff will be out for between six weeks and three months after damaging his right knee, the club said on Monday, in the latest problem to hit the injury-prone player.

The 26-year-old limped off in the 12th minute of Lyon's 4-1 victory against Troyes on Saturday and was later diagnosed with a right knee sprain and internal lateral ligament damage.

"The length of time he will be unavailable will depend on how the injury heals," Lyon said in a brief statement, although the player will not require surgery.

Gourcuff arrived two years ago from Bordeaux for 22 million euros ($27.1m) but has yet to justify the money spent on him, mainly due to injury.

In November 2010, he was sidelined for two months with an Achilles tendon injury picked up during a game against Germany's Schalke 04 before a broken toenail in March 2011 led to another two weeks on the sidelines.

He was then unable to see out the remainder of the 2010-11 season because of an adductor muscle injury diagnosed in May that year.

A year ago, Gourcuff had surgery on his left heel to remove a piece of cartilage around the joint. He only returned in mid-October but was then back on the treatment table for two months between February and April, again with adductor problems.

His latest injury effectively rules him out of the start of France's World Cup 2014 qualifying campaign, which gets underway next month.