Alassane Plea was hoping for a new sporting challenge at PSV Eindhoven, but that will have to wait. The Frenchman has suffered a serious injury and will be out for the first half of the season.
After “seven great years,” as Alassane Plea himself said, the Frenchman left Borussia Mönchengladbach a few weeks ago and joined Dutch top club PSV Eindhoven. The 32-year-old was looking for a new sporting challenge there, but now everything has changed.
Plea’s start in Eindhoven was promising, scoring a goal in his debut for PSV against Sparta Rotterdam (6-1), but then came the shock: on Sunday, he injured his right knee in a robust tackle by Robin Pröpper during a 2-0 win at Twente Enschede and left the stadium on crutches.
Bosz’s fears become reality
PSV coach Peter Bosz sensed disaster and said after the game that Plea’s knee had given way badly and added: “That doesn’t bode well.”
The striker was facing a long-term layoff – and that is now the case. PSV confirmed that Plea suffered “a serious knee injury.” Because the cartilage is affected, he will definitely miss the entire first half of the season and part of the second half. The offensive player is scheduled to undergo surgery later this week.
How will PSV respond to the loss?
Due to the Frenchman’s long-term absence, those responsible in Eindhoven are now likely to consider carefully whether to return to the transfer market and bring in a replacement.
Gladbach knows only too well what kind of player Plea is. He left a lasting impression at Borussia. He joined the Foals from Nice in 2018 for €23 million and remains the Rhineland club’s record signing to this day. In recent years, the striker had developed into an absolute top performer, scoring 68 goals in 236 games for Borussia.