Mathieu Valbuena Death Rumours Denied, Branded 'Disgraceful' by Lyon

Lyon have shot down disgraceful rumours on social media claiming star midfielder Mathieu Valbuena has died, condemning the people who came up with the stories in the first place.

As Agence France-Presse (h/t Sky Sports) reported, the Ligue 1 side denied the rumours via Twitter, posting a message that read: "Mathieu Valbuena is happily alive and well contrary to what those despicable individuals are spreading on Twitter. Lyon are horrified at such disgraceful and inhuman acts.”

The rumours started circulating Sunday evening and really picked up steam during the night. By Monday morning, there were enough of them for Lyon to release the statement, per Jonathan Johnson of ESPN FC:

ITV Sport's Will Unwin couldn't help himself:

Valbuena doesn't have a Twitter account and hasn't been active on Instagram since he suffered a shoulder injury against Guingamp on October 24. His inactivity likely played a part in allowing the rumours to spread.

The 32-year-old is suffering through a disappointing season with Lyon, as he's yet to find the back of the goal on Ligue 1 or the Champions League. The injury is yet another setback for the former Marseille man, who already faces an uphill battle to regain his spot in the French national team.

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He returned to Ligue in 2015 after a one-year spell with Dynamo Moscow and with the wind in his sails following his superb showing at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The 2015-16 season proved a difficult one off the pitch, however, following the sex-tape scandal that also involved Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, per MailOnline's Pete Jenson.

Neither player ended up at UEFA Euro 2016, and while Benzema has rebounded in Madrid and seems likely to play himself back into the French squad, Valbuena faces a far steeper path.