Nonda out for the season

AS Monaco FC striker Shabani Nonda has been ruled out for the rest of the season after sustaining a knee injury in Sunday's Ligue 1 match with Paris Saint-Germain FC.

Early injury
The Congolese forward was injured after a strong tackle by his former Monaco team-mate José Pierre-Fanfan in the fifth minute. "When I saw his knee I immediately understood it was serious," said Pierre-Fanfan. "He's a friend of mine. I feel upset."

'Ligament damage'
Monaco coach Didier Deschamps said: "The first diagnosis revealed that the internal and external ligaments of Nonda's left knee were damaged. He will be out of action until the end of the season. Considering the busy season we have ahead of us, we will need to replace him."

Scoring success
Nonda finished as top scorer in Ligue 1 last season with 26 goals, and had begun this season in similar fashion, scoring three goals in Monaco's first three matches.

Strong start
After finishing second behind Olympique Lyonnais last year, Monaco have begun the new campaign in fine form, and currently lie second in Ligue 1 with nine points from four games. Deschamps' side will enter the UEFA Champions League at the group stage, the draw for which takes places in the principality on Thursday.