He was their captain during that time so it seems unlikely. I don't know much about him but he does have a reputation for being injury prone. Last season can be discounted if he did indeed miss all those games because of a fallout with Houllier. Still, it doesn't make for good reading.
I'm happy enough to see a defender coming in, moreso someone of his calibre, but worried about his injuries.
Without knowing the nature of the injuries though, it's hard to say. It's possible he's just been unlucky rather than injury-prone, or that he's suffered a succession of serious injuries, which again doesn't necessarily mean you're injury-prone.
I guess all I'm trying to say is that knowing nothing of his role at Lyon, how many games French teams play, the rotation system at Lyon etc., I'm not gonna get too concerned that we're getting a crock. I would assume that Sam has done his homework on it, using something other than Wikipedia (not a dig, although it does sound like one!)
Lyon had Cris and Squillacci at centre half also, so I'm pretty sure he was rotated.