Marseille defender Nayef Aguerd is set to have surgery on March 12 to fix a groin injury that’s been bothering him for months.
The Moroccan centre-back has been dealing with pubalgia, a sports-hernia type problem, since October. He asked for surgery after trying to play through the pain, wanting to be fully ready for the World Cup in June.
🚨 Le communiqué médical de l’OM au sujet de Nayef Aguerd 🇲🇦 :
“L’Olympique de Marseille informe que Nayef Aguerd va subir demain, le 12 mars 2026, une intervention chirurgicale afin de traiter une pubalgie persistante.
Depuis plusieurs semaines, le défenseur olympien évoluait… pic.twitter.com/VHUsOOdqYU
— ALLEZ L’0M 💙🤍 (@ALLEZ_L0M) March 11, 2026
The timing means he will probably miss Morocco’s friendlies later this month against Ecuador and Paraguay. The newly-appointed head coach Mohammed Ouahbi would call up Crystal Palace defender Chadi Riad in his place.
Aguerd is left-footed and crucial to Marseille’s style, often starting attacks with long passes from the back. Without him, coach Habib Beye may need to tweak the defence, relying on right-footed players out of position or a more cautious setup, which could slow the team down.
Pubalgia hits the lower abs and inner thighs, making fast turns, kicking, and planting your leg tough. Aguerd tried treatment without surgery, but the pain kept coming back, so the club decided it’s time to operate to make sure he recovers properly.
It usually takes four to eight weeks to get back to full speed. Both Marseille and Morocco hope Aguerd will be fully fit again later this spring, just in time for the 2030 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, Canada, and the US.
