Karabatic out for at least six weeks

It wasn’t only the unlucky defeat that hit Montpelier Agglomeration hard in the CL match against Veszprém, it was a series of severe injuries in between a couple of minutes which could have been worse for the French Champion in their race for the VELUX EHF FINAL4.

Coach Patrice Canayer is forced to play without his top stars Nikola Karabatic and Vid Kavticnik for the next weeks.

They join Salou, Nice and Honrubia in the group of injured players. Luka Karabatic was able to return to the team in Presov after his injury in Veszprém.

Despite many injured players Montpellier took their second victory, even if the 33:31 against the Slovakian team Presov was a very hard fight.

"Bravo guys, good victory!" was the message that Nikola Karabatic published on Facebook on Saturday evening in Franca as he didn’t even travel to Presov.

It was in the 34th minute of the match in Veszprém when Karabatic was injured in a clash with a defending opponent.

The diagnosis is a torn quadriceps in his left thigh. He is estimated to be out for between six and eight weeks.

So he’ll not only miss the two friendly matches of France against Tunisia in the end of October, the French league hit in Chambery on 3 November. He is also going to miss the two VELUX EHF Men’s Champions League matches against KIF Kolding on 20 and 28 November.

It is a hard time for Montpellier, that had already once been forced to play without their captain due to the very same injury. That game was the second leg match of last year’s EHF Men’s Champions League Quarterfinals in April against Chekhov. The French Champion missed to go through to the VELUX EHF FINAL4 by losing in the penalty shoot-out.

Coach Patrice Canayer is obviously disappointed to have to replace the key player. Besides he must also replace right wing Vid Kavticnik in the next two to four weeks because of a pulled hamstring fascia at the left leg.

That injury also happened in Veszprem. But the Slovenian international will be able to play against Kolding.

Furthermore, Montpellier is also deprived of the Tunisian Wissam Hmam (in rehabilitation after surgery of the right shoulder). Canayer is now hoping that their bad luck will end, and that he will have his entire roster back for the second half of the season.

"We have started to be used to play without Nikola," interim captain Michael Guigou said to French media. Can we believe him?