Keito Nakamura set for first Lyon start at Anderlecht as Fonseca plans rotation | OneFootball

Keito Nakamura is in line to make his first start for Lyon at Anderlecht on Wednesday at 21:00, with Paulo Fonseca minded to rotate before Rennes on Saturday at 20:45. According to L'Équipe, the 26-year-old could be named in the XI.

He played 15 minutes in the 0-0 draw with Paris FC last Saturday, replacing Loïs Openda late on. Nakamura joined Olympique Lyonnais on 2 September as a joker from Reims.

Fonseca said before the Paris game that Nakamura arrived in good shape and that he likes what the forward shows in training. He added the player needs time to adapt but is intelligent and already grasps Lyon’s approach. After the match, he felt the cameo came in a difficult spell but was positive overall.

Signed to cover Malick Fofana’s departure, Nakamura offers a different profile, listed at 1.80m and 73kg. The coach views him as a team-connected, final-action player who shoots and finishes cleanly. He scored 30 goals in 97 appearances for Reims.

Nakamura has spoken of extensive tactical work with staff and video, accepting there are many rules to absorb and believing progress will come quickly. Team-mate Clinton Mata, who had faced him when Reims were in Ligue 1, called him super intelligent, physically strong and very good one against one. Lyon would be even happier if he proves decisive on the night.

Source: L'Équipe

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