FC Annecy travel to face Grenoble Foot 38 in a Ligue 2 derby on Friday night, with the hosts grappling with a severe injury crisis in their attacking department. Grenoble's coach Olivier Frapolli will be without several key forwards for the match. Annecy, currently sixth in the league with seven points, approach the game looking to build on their positive start to the season.
The injury list at Grenoble Foot 38 is extensive, particularly affecting their forward line. The biggest blow is the loss of Arthur Lallias. The striker, who joined from Orléans in January, has been suffering from recurring back problems that troubled him at the end of last season. He took part in summer preparation and played on the opening matchday against Dunkerque, but the pain has flared up again. Olivier Frapolli confirmed the bad news: "Arthur ne pourra pas rejouer avant plusieurs mois".
He is not the only forward unavailable. Moussa Djitté is also injured. Leonardo Cerri sprained his ankle during the match against Laval (3-0). Their offensive recruitment is impacted too, as new signing Zé Leité is not yet fit for this fixture. Attacking midfielder Maël Corboz, who wore the captain's armband in the early matches, is absent but is expected back for the trip to Rodez on September 11.
Faced with this crisis, coach Olivier Frapolli must find solutions. He admitted his options are limited. "On m’a prévenu qu’il existe une petite rivalité entre Grenoble et Annecy", he said. "On m’a parlé de ce match qui compte pour les supporters et le président. C’est un derby et j’aime les derbies." Despite the absences, the team will have to adapt. Baptiste Mouazan is expected to continue on the left flank.
The defence isn't spared either. The two recent signings, Yvann Maçon and Owen Kouassi, are not yet ready and will not be in the squad. This leaves Frapolli with little room for rotation. The state of Grenoble's squad is therefore a concern ahead of a key fixture.
FC Annecy enter this derby with a solid record. The team sits sixth in the Ligue 2 standings with seven points from two wins, one draw, and one loss. Their recent form reads DLWW. They have scored five goals and conceded four, for a +1 goal difference. They trail leaders Saint-Étienne by five points.
This trip to Grenoble represents a chance to continue this positive momentum. The match is important in the race near the top of the table. After this game, Annecy will face further challenges, with their full schedule available on our fixtures page.
The injury crisis at Grenoble inevitably changes the dynamics of this derby. The home side, thirteenth in the table, will have to dig deep to compensate for the absence of their best attacking players. This could encourage Frapolli to adopt a more cautious approach, focusing on defensive solidity.
For Annecy, the objective is clear: take advantage of the opponent's fragility to win away and collect points. Their defence must remain vigilant against a Grenoble attack that, while weakened, will look to be dangerous through other means. The match kicks off at 20:00 on Friday, 4 September 2026 at the Stade des Alpes.
