Sidelined in recent times, particularly against OM on Sunday, Saïd Benrahma is no longer part of his coach’s short-term plans. But Pierre Sage refuses to definitively bury the Algerian international.
An undisputed starter last season during Olympique Lyonnais’ rise from 18th to 6th place in the championship, Saïd Benrahma is experiencing a much more difficult start to the 2024-2025 championship. The time when the Algerian international was a full-fledged starter on the left side of the Lyon attack seems a long time ago since on Sunday against Olympique de Marseille, the former West Ham playmaker was not even in the group of players selected by Pierre Sage. Benrahma is paying the price for competition in his position and in particular the return of Rayan Cherki, who has just extended his contract, but also for his form.
Back with a few extra pounds this summer, Saïd Benrahma is paying the price and is no longer part of his coach’s short-term plans. On the other hand, the Lyon coach has not definitively written off his Algerian dribbler, as L’Equipe reveals in today’s edition. “Benrahma is starting from a long way back but Sage has sent the message that he will need everyone in this busy season” recalls the national daily while for his part, Pierre Sage was delighted at a press conference at the start of the Europa League, recognizing that “It’s starting to be hard for some people not to play”.
Sage still counting on Benrahma
The series of matches with Ligue 1 and the European Cup will allow the 45-year-old French coach to rotate more and some players will therefore have the opportunity to seize their chance. Benrahma but not only. Players like Malick Fofana, Ernest Nuamah but also Wilfried Zaha should have playing time in the coming weeks. The question now is who will take advantage of this to establish themselves as a starter, and if this is likely to change Pierre Sage’s tactical system. From this Thursday against Olympiakos, the OL coach could return to his good old recipe from last season with a more offensive 4-3-3 than the 3-5-2 used against Strasbourg, Lens and Marseille.
