This is not the first time Jean-Clair Todibo has joined a new club amid lofty expectations, only to disappoint. Fans of West Ham United will know exactly how the RC Lens supporters across the Channel are feeling right now.

While Nuno Espirito Santo looks likely to have Konstantinos Mavropanos available for the trip to Swansea City despite an injury concern in midweek, Lens boss Yann Cahuzac might not be quite so fortunate.

Todibo’s conduct bordered on the ‘disgraceful’ at times – when he stormed down the tunnel at Newcastle without shaking Nuno’s hand, for instance, before refusing to even consider dropping down into the Championship. His performances ranged from generally poor to occasionally acceptable.

But injury-prone? That’s a new one. When he did play at West Ham United – minutes became increasingly rare towards the end – Todibo was a fish out of water in the physical hustle and bombastic bustle of English football.

A return to France, where the one-time Barcelona defender played the best football of his career with Nice, was supposed to represent a fresh start.

Jean-Clair Todibo’s West Ham United troubles follow him to Lens

Last season’s Ligue 1 runners-up Lens have a proud tradition of restoring old bangers to past glory, after all. See Florian Thauvin, arguably the most influential forward in French football.

Even before the injury which could keep him out of Saturday’s late kick-off away at ESTAC Troyes – he’s featured in just 80 of a possible 540 minutes so far – Todibo’s performances have been well below the standards Lens were expecting.

“He was supposed to be the undisputed leader of Lens’ defence, the saviour capable of guiding the young Lens players through the Champions League. A month and a half after his sensational arrival, Jean-Clair Todibo has become a complete enigma,” write Allez Lens.

And strap in, Jean-Clair. That is as complimentary as it gets.

On what was his second and most recent appearance, in a 2-1 defeat by early pacesetters Monaco in September, Todibo was handed a 3/10 rating by Get France Football News.

They, and new coach Cahuzac, were quick to point out that the deadline day arrival would need some time to get up to speed having not played a minute of football in pre-season.

That screeching sound you can hear in the distance is the noise of the world’s smallest violin choir. Todibo made it clear that he had no interest in playing for Nuno even in non-competitive action. That he joined Lens undercooked and lacking fitness is his fault and his fault alone.

Todibo labelled a ‘complete disaster’ after only two Lens games

Allez Lens are not quite so forgiving as some of their contemporaries in the French press. Todibo, they wrote this week, has been a ‘complete disaster’.

“Without a proper pre-season with West Ham, the 26-year-old arrived in Artois out of shape. Faced with his inability to handle the intense demands of Ligue 1 and European competition, the coaching staff reportedly put him on a drastic fitness program,” Allez Lens add.

“This raises a troubling structural issue; how can a recruitment team rush to sign a player supposedly meant to extinguish a defensive fire without accurately assessing his immediate suitability for the role?”

A good question. One Cahuzac, who only inherited the head coach role after Dino Toppmoller’s stunning departure weeks into the job, cannot answer.

“‘JC’ had a minor issue during the [international] break. He’s on a personalised fitness program,” Cahuzac said, before claiming – perhaps more in hope than expectation – that happier times are along the way. “He’s been training with the group for almost a week now. So, he’s really getting back into form.”

When it comes to Todibo, we’ve heard that before. The excuses rang hollow and eventually ran out at West Ham. Patience is already running low in Lens.