AS Monaco forward options aplenty, but Filipe Luis seeks fluency before Lens visit | OneFootball

AS Monaco’s attack remains a work in progress as they host Lens at Louis-II on Friday at 20:45, matchday 5, with head coach Filipe Luis adapting to injuries and mixed form.

According to Nice-Matin, he has a varied cast at centre-forward, with Brunner, Balogun, Abline and Biereth in contention, and Abline also able to play centrally after being used wide.

Brunner has emerged unexpectedly, scoring 5 in 6 this season and forcing his way into Luis’s thinking heading into the Lens fixture.

Luis keeps selection merit-based, the pecking order shifts week by week and depends on the players, not reputation or past.

His system usually allows one central striker, though a second, freer false nine, typically Golovin’s, remains an option. Brunner took on that role at Zabrze and late at Strasbourg, with balance still to find.

Luis says he will adapt to game demands and, if a match calls for it, could even set up without a recognised striker. Injuries to Coulibaly, Idumbo and Soubeir are limiting options, not ideal for a side still inconsistent in its attacking patterns despite 13 goals.

He accepts there is work to do to unlock more attacking fluency. It also hinges on the opponent’s defensive structure, as seen at Strasbourg where a compact block asked for more wing play, but errors and turnovers undermined the final action.

Source: Nice-Matin

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”