Ligue 1: long troubled by injuries, Arnaud Nordin is the man who comes at the right time for the MHSC

Félicité par Adams et Khazri après son but, Nordin a montré face à Lyon (1-2) l’étendue de ses qualités comme second attaquant. Midi Libre – JEAN MICHEL MART

Not spared from injuries this season, Arnaud Nordin raises a lot of hope at a time when the MHSC, host of Metz this Sunday February 18, really needs it.

At the foot of the stand, he pretended to open his shirt, like Clark Kent revealing his Superman outfit under his civilian clothes. Scorer against Lyon (1-2), last Sunday, Arnaud Nordin is not yet flying and has not yet saved Montpellier HSC either. But his return to form could well contribute to this and is timely. Provided his body doesn't give up on him again, real kryptonite of a player with undeniable and undisputed talent.

At a time when the Hérault club is playing big, Sunday (3 p.m.) against Metz, the presence of Arnaud Nordin, like that of a Mousa Tamari a priori suitable (read elsewhere ), awakens hope around an attack at half mast and an Akor Adams who has been silent for almost four months. But he refuses to put on the cape. "One, two, three players aren't everything. It’s 15, 16, 17 or even more. We don’have no special outfit, savior or anything", sweeps the 25-year-old winger.

Goal and relapses

Facing Lyon, a hated neighbor from the training center in Saint-Étienne, the ex-Green nevertheless demonstrated in a few minutes why Montpellier and Michel Der Zakarian were keen on the idea of ​​his return. And why they "took the risk" to go beyond the & ;quot;30 minutes max" of play recommended by the medical staff. "He plays simple, doesn't get complicated, when he has to dribble, he dribbles in the right areas, appreciates the pailladin coach. That makes the difference with players who see quickly, who feel the game."

🎥 Le but d'Arnaud Nordin face à l'OL

🥰🤝1 but marqué = 250 € pour l’Association 𝑽𝑴𝑭 𝑷𝒂𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑯𝒆́𝒓𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒕 #JouonsLaCollectif @FondsOrangeBleu 🧡#MHSCOL 1-2 pic.twitter.com/LiGixRNEnx

— MHSC (@MontpellierHSC) February 12, 2024

His goal, scored with a header from his height of 1.70 m – "These are things that happen", he laughs -, gave a complete performance in an unusual position. Replaced for an hour in the position of second attacker, the winger has sunk his teeth into a role which opens up a wider range of possibilities than that of the corridor.

I like this position. Like any player, I appreciate being a little more free

"It’s different, you have to try to keep the balls more, play with your back to goal. But I like this position. Like any player, I appreciate being a little more free, says Nordin. Now the coach can put me wherever he wants, I want to play."

Against OL, the time had finally come to put away long months of relapses, symbols of a season of black bread for the MHSC. After a first Hérault campaign ignited by a cracking second half of the championship (nine goals, five assists in total), Nordin had his momentum stopped from the first preparation match, last July. Ischio in September, calf in December then another thigh injury after a half-time match against Lille on January 28, had since postponed the exit from the tunnel each time.

"I hope I'm really done with this"

"Obviously, it’s hard, he admits, only ten L1 matches on the clock this season, against more than thirty in the previous three. Afterwards, I have already experienced this kind of thing. […] It was a long process. I hope I'm really done with this.» «Knock on wood so that it doesn’n’t happen at all", implores Nordin, to whom the muscular physique and the short support game had already played tricks at ASSE.

I'm rather liberated, Sunday, it was a bit obvious, no ?

The experience, doubly painful since it ended with relegation, hardened the native of Paris. Who leaves it to others to turn gray hairs with each of his accelerations. "If we think about the injury every time, that's when it's going to happen, he puts it into perspective. I play my game, I do my exercises in the gym to limit this kind of thing. You have to go all out." "I'm rather liberated, Sunday, that's a bit obvious, no ?" Liberated and above all delivered, hopes the MHSC, even if this is not quite Nordin's type of superhero.

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