Rémi Garde is expected to conduct a significant squad rotation ahead of Lyon’s Europa League round of 16 first leg match in Odessa on Thursday. The Lyon coach plans to rest all his regular starters, opting to rotate the squad just three days before a crucial Ligue 1 match against Lille, which holds significance for their pursuit of a podium finish.
In line with this strategy, Algerian defender Mehdi Zeffane has been included in the squad for the trip to Ukraine. Zeffane, who has been enjoying a run of starts in recent weeks due to an injury to his direct competitor at right-back, Miguel Lopes, found himself on the bench during the previous league fixture before being completely excluded from the matchday squad in the subsequent game. However, with Lopes not selected for the trip to Ukraine, the 22-year-old Zeffane is expected to regain his starting position for the European encounter.
