Lyon (AFP)

Saint-Etienne is deprived of seven players sick with Covid-19, and Lyon, of his master to play: the Brazilian Lucas Paqueta, whose arrival has transformed his team, is suspended for the derby on Sunday, a puzzle for his trainer Rudi Garcia.

Before the defeat conceded Sunday at home against Metz (1-0), Paqueta had never lost under the OL jersey, with a record of ten wins and three draws.

In the first leg, won painfully by Lyon, Paqueta entered on time when the Lyonnais were down 1-0.

His contribution had helped to reverse the result (2-1).

But against Rennes (2-2), on January 16, he appeared in decline of form, just like against the Messins, two matches from which he left shortly after the hour mark without having had his usual influence.

And his last half hour against Lens, January 6 (3-2), after delivering his only decisive pass of the season, had also been fairly neutral, suggesting a difficult return from vacation from Brazil where he spent the Christmas and New Year.

- A "fabulous left foot" -

But these three mixed performances do not detract from the impression left since his arrival by the original Carioca, as evidenced by striker Tino Kadewere.

"Honestly, Paqueta is a very smart player, who plays very well with and without the ball. He gives confidence and helps the whole team both defensively and offensively. He won't be with us on Sunday but we have some very good players. like Bruno Guimaraes or Maxence Caqueret to replace him ", supports the Zimbabwean striker.

“We will have to adapt but of course he will still be missed by our team because he brings a lot with his fabulous left foot,” he continues.

Admittedly, the Brazilian, bought at the end of September for 20 M EUR from AC Milan where he had been in check for a year and a half, scored only one goal, against Nantes (3-0), for the last match. of the year 2020, December 23.

But his foresight was able to improve all his partners, who failed last season (7th), and who still had a bad start to the current year (one victory, one defeat, four draws in the first six days).

- How to replace it?

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Can Paqueta's absence force Rudi Garcia to change his 4-3-3 he is relying on this season?

"Good question. We also have to see if we can dispose of Houssem Aouar who felt a muscular alert. He is also an attacking player in the midfield. It may also not change anything," he replied.

Diplomat with respect to the ego of other Lyon players and refusing to accept, publicly at least, that his room for maneuver in terms of changes is limited so as not to upset the balance of his team, he does not deny the decisive contribution of the international auriverde.

"We must not reduce the good performance of the team at the arrival of Lucas Paqueta even if I concede it to you, we are very happy to have him and I would have preferred to have him on the derby. thing to the team with his left foot, his technical touch, his ability to play with a touch of the ball, his fighting spirit, ”admitted Garcia, in search of alternatives.

By an attacker or a midfielder?

Everything will undoubtedly depend on the presence of Aouar or not while Guimaraes and Caqueret are naturally ready.

But OL do not want to complain too loudly about the absence of their master to play while opposite Saint-Etienne deplores the absence of seven players infected with Covid-19.

And for Lyon, the situation remains the same: to win at all costs, to stay close to first place.

© 2021 AFP