Cherki DROPPED by crisis-hit Lyon for Marseille trip

Robin Bairner

28 Oct 2023 20:09 BST
4 min read

Rayan Cherki will not feature for Lyon in Sunday’s Ligue 1 clash against Marseille at Stade Velodrome in a move that will only fuel transfer speculation.

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There have been no indications that Cherki is carrying an injury problem, but along with former Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles, he will not travel south for the showcase fixture in France this weekend.

The decision of head coach Fabio Grosso to leave the attacking midfielder out will only serve to cast doubt on the 20-year-old’s long-term future at Lyon, with the Italian having treated him severely since arriving at the crisis-stricken club in September following the sacking of Laurent Blanc.

Cherki has yet to generate a goal or an assist for OL this season, which comes in sharp contrast to his form with Thierry Henry's France U21 side. He has started just two of four games under Grosso, and on both of those occasions, he was replaced before an hour was up. In last weekend’s shock 2-1 loss at home against Clermont, the prodigious youngster was withdrawn at half-time.

Grosso has stated: “He's not a special player, he's a player like any other. He is a player with extraordinary potential, I hope he turns it into reality. He has destiny in his hands, he has been given incredible qualities, but he can still progress to express his potential.”

No Rayan Cherki in the Lyon squad to face Marseille on Sunday 💥

There's no report of any injury problem.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles also fails to make the cut for Fabio Grosso's ailing team. https://t.co/GfHkScMtmV
— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) October 28, 2023

’Grosso one of the worst coaches they have ever had’

The move comes after a chaotic week at Lyon, in which the head coach cancelled training on Tuesday as he interrogated his players in a bid to find a mole leaking news to the media.

This arrived hours after high-profile pundit Jerome Rothen appeared on radio station RMC indicating that Grosso has already lost the dressing room.

“There are experienced and very experienced players who told me that he was perhaps one of the worst coaches they have ever had,” Rothen said.

“He has alienated everyone. Everyone talks about Cherki, but it's not just Cherki.

“Rayan Cherki takes a lot from Fabio Grosso, more than the others, which is astonishing. But it shows in his actions, because he puts him on the bench and punishes him. On Sunday, he punished him again, but he wasn't the only one.”

Chelsea, Totteham and PSG were linked with a summer transfer for Cherki, while Real Madrid are long-time admirers, and these rumours will surely rekindle as January nears.