Ex-Arsenal star Alexandre Lacazette to undergo vocal chord surgery after viral interview
Former Arsenal captain Alexandre Lacazette's voice sounded different in an interview after Lyon's 2-1 Ligue 1 defeat against Monaco at the Stade Louis II on Sunday evening
Alexandre Lacazette will reportedly undergo surgery to remove a small growth on his vocal cords following a change in his voice.
Lacazette's post-match interview after Lyon's 2-1 defeat to Monaco on Sunday evening left fans bemused on social media. Many were surprised by the former Arsenal captain's high-pitched voice, sounding completely different from his Premier League days.
Lacazette rejoined boyhood club Lyon in the summer after a five-year spell at Arsenal and has impressed so far, scoring four goals in seven Ligue 1 games. The 31-year-old wasn't prolific during his final season at the Emirates, scoring just six goals in all competitions.
According to L'Equipe, Lacazette has been struggling to speak since the beginning of the summer due to a polyp. It's claimed the striker has been in severe pain and chose to wait until the upcoming international break to have an operation to remove the growth.
Lacazette will reportedly undergo surgery next week and will rest for a few days before returning to training. Lyon have just one more game to go before the international break - against Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain - before a two-week interval.
Lacazette will not want to miss any games for Lyon due to the polyp. Peter Bosz's side are aiming to qualify for European football this season after finishing eighth in Ligue 1 last term. A top-three finish is required in France to qualify for the Champions League.
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PSG are currently top of Ligue 1 on goal difference, with Marseille in second. Lyon are fifth in table - six points behind the leaders after suffering consecutive league defeats.
Neymar is the leading scoring in Ligue 1 this season with eight goals, one more than his PSG colleague Kylian Mbappe. Lacazette is one goal behind his former Arsenal teammate Folarin Balogun - who has found the net five times - in Ligue 1's scoring charts.
Balogun, 21, joined Reims on a season-long loan from the Gunners in August. He is hoping to make a name for himself in France after a difficult loan spell at Middlesbrough last term, scoring just three goals in 18 Championship appearances for Chris Wilder's side.
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"I remember speaking to Lacazette and he kept on telling me: you need to go to Ligue 1, you will do well here. Maybe he should become my agent as well because he has a great knowledge of football!
"I've spent my whole career in London so when I came here I knew it was going to be different, I didn't know the language and I'm still trying to learn – but for me, it's important to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. This is the reason I’m here and hopefully this decision will be good for me and pay off."
