Ghanaian defender John Mensah will be out for several weeks after tearing his groin muscle playing for Lyon last Saturday.

The central defender was forced to leave the field with just 10 minutes remaining in Lyon's 2-2 French league draw with Lille.

The former Rennes captain had only recently returned to action, having suffered groin problems in pre-season.

Lyon will await the results of a scan to find out how long he will be out.

However, the 25-year-old is certain to miss the club's Champions League tie away to Steaua Bucuresti on Tuesday.

Mensah completed the full 90 minutes in Ghana's crucial 3-0 win against Lesotho in Sekondi last Saturday.

The win saw the Black Stars go through to the last round of qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations.