emegha is back in Strasbourg’s attack after five months out, but his return has arrived with only a short stretch of the season left. He started against Nice for the first time in five months and lasted 64 minutes, leaving Strasbourg with a late-season selection problem they have little time to solve.
Emegha, Nice and 64 minutes
The forward’s first start since his hamstring lay-off came after a 25-minute cameo at Mainz on 9 April, when he was still being eased in by Gary O’Neil. Against Nice, he struggled to make the same impact, managing only two duels and 11 touches in 64 minutes.
That contrast matters because Strasbourg had already reshaped their attack around other options while he was sidelined. Joaquin Panichelli was the first stopgap, before a serious knee injury removed him from the picture and forced another change.
Strasbourg’s changing front line
Julio Enciso then became the solution at number nine and impressed against Nice on 4 April and again against Mainz on 16 April. Valentin Barco’s ankle sprain on 16 April also hampered Strasbourg’s attacking balance, leaving the team to keep adjusting around the same central issue: how to replace the movement and reference point Emegha normally provides.
O’Neil arrived in January but could not involve Emegha until 9 April at Mainz, when the striker came on for those final 25 minutes and forced the German block back. The start against Nice showed a different stage of the comeback, with the workload rising and the chemistry still catching up.
Strasbourg’s tight run-in
Strasbourg have six matches left, or seven if RCSA reach the Europa Conference League final, so every game now carries the same practical demand: rebuild the understanding with Emegha quickly enough to use him properly before the season closes. He has already signed for Chelsea months ago, and no return to Racing is envisaged, which makes this final stretch the only window left for Strasbourg to fit him back into their attack.
