Team News
Lyon have suffered a major setback in the lead-up to Thursday’s Europa League tie, as Ernest Nuamah has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with an ACL injury. The Ghanaian winger was forced off just seven minutes into their weekend win over Lille, while Malick Fofana also remains unavailable due to a knee issue. Nuamah’s absence opens the door for Rayan Cherki to start once again. The 20-year-old, who has attracted interest from several top clubs, has amassed nine goals and 18 assists in 36 appearances this season, including eight assists in 10 Europa League matches. He is expected to join Thiago Almada and either Alexandre Lacazette or Georges Mikautadze in attack.
Nemanja Matic will likely feature in midfield alongside Corentin Tolisso and Tanner Tessmann, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles should retain his role at right-back. He’ll be joined in defence by Clinton Mata, Moussa Niakhate, and either Nicolas Tagliafico or Abner Vinicius on the left.
Manchester United remain without Lisandro Martinez (knee), Amad Diallo, Ayden Heaven (both ankle), and Jonny Evans (back), who are all still on the treatment table. There is hope, however, that both Matthijs de Ligt (ankle) and Kobbie Mainoo (calf) could feature, with the latter having resumed full training this week. Luke Shaw is also back in contention following a lengthy layoff due to a hamstring problem, though Patrick Dorgu is expected to start again at left wing-back. Harry Maguire, who was withdrawn early in the Manchester derby, has been passed fit and should anchor the back line once more. Mason Mount is pushing for minutes and could play either centrally or further forward, depending on the setup. Alejandro Garnacho is likely to keep his place despite a run of just one goal in 27 appearances. Manager Rúben Amorim faces a decision on whether to persist with Rasmus Højlund up front or reintroduce Joshua Zirkzee.
Form Guide
Manchester United come into this clash after a drab goalless draw against Manchester City at Old Trafford, just days after a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest. Their domestic form continues to falter, with the club languishing in 13th place in the Premier League and seven points adrift of the top half. Despite their struggles, United remain unbeaten in this season’s Europa League with six wins and four draws. They brushed aside Real Sociedad 5-2 on aggregate in the round of 16, including a Bruno Fernandes hat-trick in a commanding 4-1 home win. The Red Devils have lost just once in their last 21 matches in the competition, and are unbeaten in their last 11 first-leg European knockout ties.
Lyon, meanwhile, have hit a purple patch. After a seven-match winless streak early in the year, they’ve now won seven of their last 10 games, scoring 19 goals in the process. Saturday’s 2-1 comeback victory over Lille featured goals from Lacazette and Cherki and pushed them up to fifth in Ligue 1, just two points shy of the Champions League places.
Predicted Outcome
Thursday’s tie promises to be finely balanced. Lyon have scored at least three goals in each of their last four matches, whereas United have only managed more than two in two of their last seven. Both sides enter with clear strengths and vulnerabilities. We predict Manchester United will get a 1-1 draw in France.
