The coach of Olympique Marseille, Italian Roberto De Zerbi, revealed the reason for the absence of Moroccan defender Naif Akord from his team's starting lineup during the match against Auxerre, which ended with a victory for the southern club by one goal to nil (1-0) on Saturday evening, as part of the French league competition.

De Zerbi explained in the press conference following the match that Akord has been suffering from hip discomfort for several days, noting that the player expressed a desire to participate despite the pain; however, medical examinations and warm-up before the match confirmed that he was not fully fit to play.

The Italian coach added that the participation of the Moroccan international in the upcoming match against Italian Atalanta, scheduled for next Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League, will depend on an evaluation of his health status over the next few days, hoping that he will be ready to strengthen the team for this crucial European fixture.