Pavel Sulc and Khalis Merah miss Lyon training before Fenerbahçe Champions League play-off | OneFootball

According to L'Équipe, Pavel Sulc and Khalis Merah missed Lyon training on Monday, the day before the Champions League play-off first leg at Fenerbahçe. Sulc should return to training on Wednesday, while Merah is nursing a minor knee issue. Both are expected to rejoin the group this week.

The squad worked from 10:00 on pitch one at Décines-Charpieu, with Paulo Fonseca overseeing an almost full group. Recovered midfielder Mads Bidstrup and World Cup runner-up Nicolas Tagliafico both took part.

Centre-back Felix Bacher and Swiss full-back Zachary Athekame, newly on loan from AC Milan, also trained, and Athekame will be eligible for the tie.

Lyon are due to leave for Saint-Exupéry airport early afternoon, with a 15:00 departure for Istanbul. Fonseca will speak alongside Moussa Niakhaté at 20:30 local time, 19:30 in France, at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.

The likely OL XI to face Fenerbahçe is Greif in goal, Maitland-Niles, Kluivert, Niakhaté and Abner in defence, Morton, Tessmann and Tolisso, captain, in midfield, with Nuamah, Openda and M.Fofana up front. Coach: Paulo Fonseca.

Last week OL focused on defensive work and quicker decision-making in transitions. The side that eliminated Sparta Prague, 1-2 then 3-0, in the previous round should be kept from kick-off.

The delegation plan to stay in Istanbul on Tuesday night and return on Wednesday. Factoring recovery, they are set to have only one full training session before travelling to Toulouse on Saturday at 20:45 for their Ligue 1 opener.

Source: L'Équipe

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