YOUSSEF MALEH NEWS

Available for friendly Maleh (knee) was an unused sub in Saturday's pre-season game versus Monopoli.

Impact Maleh was an option for the first time in the summer as he was held out to complete his rehab from a minor knee surgery. It remains to be seen whether he'll stay at Lecce to provide depth in the midfield, as a few other relegation strugglers are eyeing him.

AUGUST 10 • ROTOWIRE

Undergoes knee surgery Maleh went under the knife to repair the MCL in his left knee, Empoli announced.

Impact Maleh has already missed a month and will be out for at least one more following the operation and isn't a lock to be back before the end of the season. Liam Henderson will continue absorbing his minutes until Faustino Anjorin (thigh) returns.

APRIL 9 • ROTOWIRE

Will stay on the mend Maleh (knee) won't be an option Saturday against Como, coach Roberto D'Aversa stated.

Impact Maleh will remain unavailable like Faustino Anjorin (thigh) and Szymon Zurkowski (knee), while Jacopo Fazzini (thigh) is returning in the Empoli midfield. Liam Henderson and Viktor Kovalenko contributed to substituting him in the past two fixtures.

MARCH 28 • ROTOWIRE

Picks up knee problem Maleh "had been playing through a knee issue, which got worse in training during the week," coach Roberto D'Aversa announced.

Impact Maleh won't be available against Roma on Sunday and might undergo some exams to verify the severity of the injury. Liberato Cacace might move to a more offensive role, with Mattia De Sciglio replacing him in the back. Jacopo Bacci and Junior Sambia could also benefit from the situation.

MARCH 8 • ROTOWIRE

Serves suspension Maleh cleared a one-game ban in Saturday's 2-0 defeat versus Milan.

Impact Maleh will return against Udinese on Sunday and will compete to get the nod with Liam Henderson, but the health of Faustino Anjorin (knee) and Jacopo Fazzini (thigh) will also be a factor. He has posted four shots (one on target), four key passes, 22 tackles (nine won) and six clearances in his last five outings.

FEBRUARY 9 • ROTOWIRE

Sent off Sunday Maleh was sent off in the second half of Sunday's match against Juventus.

Impact Maleh was shown his second yellow card in the 84th minute forcing Empoli down to ten men. The midfielder will miss next week's match against Milan through suspension.

FEBRUARY 2 • ROTOWIRE

Well-rounded in Venezia tilt Maleh won two of five tackles and generated three shots (one on goal), three crosses (zero accurate) and two clearances in Saturday's 1-1 draw versus Venezia.

Impact Maleh got the nod over Liam Henderson to replace Jacopo Fazzini (personal) and did a little bit of everything as usual. He has assisted once and added five key passes, four crosses (zero accurate), 14 tackles (six won) and seven clearances in the last five matches.

JANUARY 4 • ROTOWIRE

Logs helper agaisnt Verona Maleh assisted once to go with one tackle (zero won), one clearance and three chances created in Sunday's 4-1 win versus Verona.

Impact Maleh didn't fill it up but linked up with Liberato Cacace on the third goal of this side. It's his first goal contribution of the season. He has gotten the nod in six straight games, posting seven shots (one on target), five key passes, nine crosses (two accurate) and seven tackles (four won).

DECEMBER 9, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Decent in Milan game Maleh won one of two tackles and registered two shots (zero on goal), two blocks and three crosses (one accurate) in Saturday's 3-0 defeat to AC Milan.

Impact Maleh was one of the lone bright spots for his side, picking up stats on both ends and threatening to score with a piledriver. He has taken advantage of a few injuries to start in the past five fixtures, recording seven tackles (one won), two chances created, nine crosses (two accurate) and six tackles (four won).

NOVEMBER 30, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Plays ten minutes against Parma Maleh (thigh) had three touches and one interception in 10 minutes in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Parma.

Impact Maleh was inserted late in the game after not playing in the previous four due to injury and will attempt to unseat primarily Faustino Anjorin in the next few fixtures.

OCTOBER 27, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Option for Parma tilt Maleh (thigh) is available for Sunday's game against Parma.

Impact Maleh was trending in the right direction and is indeed back on the game-day roster after missing the last two matches and not playing for a month due to a lingering thigh issue. He has fallen down the pecking order during his absence.

OCTOBER 27, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Expected to return versus Parma Maleh (thigh) has had a clean week of training and should resume being an option against Parma on Sunday, La Nazione reported.

Impact Maleh is feeling better after sitting out two matches and will be back in the squad if he passes the final fitness test. He'll likely be eased into action eventually, as Faustino Anjorin, Alberto Grassi and Jacopo Fazzini have fared convincingly while he was out. Liam Henderson is also in the mix. He started in three of the first four matches of the season, notching three shots (one on target), one key pass, four tackles (three won) and three clearances.

OCTOBER 26, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Unavailable against Napoli Maleh (thigh) isn't an option for Sunday's game versus Napoli.

Impact Maleh was in doubt coming into the game and will remain sidelined like in recent fixtures. Jacopo Fazzini, Faustino Anjorin and Alberto Grassi are getting the start, while Liam Henderson and Nicholas Haas are on the bench.

OCTOBER 20, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Questionable for Napoli game Maleh (thigh) got better during the break but isn't a lock to be called up for Sunday's clash with Napoli, La Gazzetta dello Sport informed.

Impact Maleh might skip the second contest in a row despite having the international break to recover. Liam Henderson and Faustino Anjorin have benefitted from his absence.

OCTOBER 19, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Unavailable against Lazio Maleh (thigh) wasn't an option for Sunday's 2-1 loss to Lazio.

Impact Maleh has been struggling to recover from a thigh issue and will look to get healthy during the break ahead of October 20's game versus Napoli.

OCTOBER 6, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Questionable for Lazio fixture Maleh continues to deal with a lingering thigh problem and might not be available versus Lazio, Il Tirreno reported.

Impact Maleh was available but didn't play in the previous game and has been managed in training throughout the week, which doesn't bode well for his prospective usage. Two among Liam Henderson, Faustino Anjorin and Jacopo Fazzini will start in this one. Nicholas Haas would have better chances of featuring if Maleh was out.

OCTOBER 5, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Unused against Fiorentina Maleh (thigh) didn't play in Sunday's 0-0 draw with Fiorentina.

Impact Maleh was an option but wasn't deployed as he wasn't 100 percent yet and the other Empoli midfielders have been solid so far. He'll challenge primarily Liam Henderson from here on out.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Fit for Fiorentina fixture Maleh (thigh) "is available, but we'll have to see how much he can play," coach Roberto D'Aversa relayed.

Impact Maleh avoided serious injuries and will be back after skipping one fixture but is likely to begin on the bench since Liam Henderson and Faustino Anjorin have been solid and Jacopo Fazzini (hip) is also returning. He has appeared in four matches (three starts), registering four tackles (three won), three shots (one on target) and three interceptions.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Dealing with thigh issue Maleh missed Friday's 2-0 win over Empoli due to a right adductor problem, Tuttomercatoweb relayed.

Impact Maleh made the trip but was ruled out late, which suggests the injury might not be too significant. He'll be assessed throughout the week to see if he can recover for Sunday's home game versus Fiorentina. Faustino Anjorin replaced him in the midfield. Jacopo Fazzini (thigh) could also be in the mix for the next bout.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Late scratch for Cagliari game Maleh didn't make the game-day squad list to face Cagliari on Friday, La Gazzetta dello Sport informed.

Impact Maleh got hurt late in the week and won't be involved. He'll be better evaluated in the coming days. Faustino Anjorin is taking his place in the midfield, while Nicolas Haas is the top deputy on the bench.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Takes two shots against Juventus Maleh won two of three tackles and recorded two shots (one on goal), one cross (zero accurate) and one chance created in Saturday's 0-0 draw against Juventus.

Impact Maleh played in a more offensive role since Jacopo Fazzini and Ola Solbakken were knocked out by thigh injuries and picked up more stats than usual in the final third, on top of providing his usual gritty contribution in the midfield. He has started in three of four games, logging four tackels, three interceptions and three crosses (one accurate).

SEPTEMBER 14, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Returns to Empoli Maleh has joined Empoli on a season-long loan with an option to buy from Lecce, the club announced.

Impact Maleh is poised for his second consecutive loan spell in Tuscany and, since Empoli haven't signed many midfielders this summer, he should continue having a prominent role. He logged 34 key passes, 47 crosses (15 accurate) and 74 tackles in 34 matches (30 starts) in 2023/2024, assisting once.

AUGUST 12, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Heading back to Lecce Maleh has left Empoli following a season-long loan spell, as the option for a permanent acquisition wasn't activated.

Impact Maleh was a full-time starter and a steady contributor, but the club elected not to invest in him at this time. He'll be evaluated by the new Lecce coach, and other sides might take a look at him during the summer.

JUNE 21, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Works hard versus Napoli Maleh won four of six tackles and eight duels and had two crosses (zero accurate) and two corners in Saturday's 1-0 win versus Napoli.

Impact Maleh returned to the XI after three games, missing one due to suspensions and being supplanted by Simone Bastoni in the most recent two, and brought the hustle in the midfield as usual. He has totaled three key passes, 15 tackles (eight won) and five crosses (one accurate) in his last five showings.

APRIL 20, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Sets up teammate in Torino tilt Maleh assisted once to go with one cross (zero accurate), two tackles (two won) and one chance created in Saturday's 3-2 win over Torino.

Impact Maleh came off the bench following a one-game suspension as the coach decided to stick with Simone Bastoni, who fared well last week, but he made his presence felt with a timely dish to Matteo Cancellieri on a counter. It's his first goal contribution of the season. He has notched three shots (two on target), eight key passes and 11 tackles (eight won) in his last five appearances.

APRIL 7, 2024 • ROTOWIRE