VESTE TRISTE: FCSB a anunțat că Daniel Bîrligea pleacă imediat după ce s-a confruntat cu…
Valentin Cretu is suspended and with Alexandru Pantea ruled out due to injury, Mihai Popescu may move over to right-back here. William Baeten is a doubt, but the home side are without Denis Olaru, Mihai Lixandru, Octavian Popescu and Daniel Birligea due to injury. The absence of Birligea means Daniel Popa may lead the charge for the Romanian side, though Florin Tanase is also an option.
Abner Vinicius is the only player missing for Lyon when they take on FC FCSB on Thursday. Nicolas Tagliafico is expected to return to the side at left-back having started the 1-1 draw with Ludogorets Razgrad in January on the bench. Head coach Paulo Fonseca is in hot water after squaring up to the referee at the weekend and has been handed a lengthy ban.
FC FCSB gear up for their welcome of Lyon on an eight-game unbeaten run, though they saw a five-game winning streak ended by Rapid Bucuresti at the weekend. The Romanian side have lost only one of their last 16 home games, that defeat coming at the expense of Manchester United at the end of January.
Lyon responded to their 3-2 home defeat to PSG with a 2-1 win over Brest to make it three wins from their last four. OL’s away form is a worry, however, with a 4-1 win at Montpellier last month one of two victories from their last away games on their travels, the other of which came against lower league opposition Feignies Aulnoye in the Coupe de France.
Lyon may have the better squad on paper, but FC FCSB are not to be underestimated on home turf. The Romanian side have won three on the spin on home turf, however their injury issues may hold them back on Thursday evening.
