Tanguy Ndombele, Houssem Aouar, Lyon
UEFA Europa League

Ndombélé doubt for Lyon-West Ham

Ndombélé doubt for Lyon-West Ham

UEFA Europa League
Publish on 04/12 at 18:27

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Olympique Lyonnais are sweating on the fitness of Tanguy Ndombélé and Houssem Aouar as they look to win past West Ham United and into the UEFA Europa League semi-finals on Thursday.

Olympique Lyonnais - West Ham United

 

Kick-off: 20:00 GMT

 

Lyon welcome West Ham to the Groupama Stadium with the tie delicately poised at 1-1 after Ndombélé scored to cancel out Jarrod Bowen's opener in last week's first leg in London.

 

The midfielder - back on loan at Lyon from the Hammers' London rivals Tottenham Hotspur - was one of three players who went off injured as OL drew 1-1 at RC Strasbourg Alsace on Sunday, with Aouar and goalkeeper Anthony Lopes also withdrawn before time was up.

Strength in depth

 

Jan Pollersbek and recent signing Tetê are obvious replacements for Lopes and Aouar, but with Maxence Caqueret harbouring a long-term knee injury of his own, Ndombélé will be given until the last minute to prove his fitness and take up his role in central midfield.

 

Watch: Highlights of Lyon's 1-1 draw at Strasbourg



Regardless of who plays, Lyon coach Peter Bosz is confident of extending his club's undefeated run against English teams to eight games stretching back to 2013.

 

"I'm always confident, I'm always optimistic," he said. "I know our fans can create an atmosphere, like there was in the first leg. We can do it."

Ligue 1 infliuence

 

West Ham are without Aaron Cresswell for the second leg, the left-back having been sent off on the stroke of half-time last Thursday. Former Valenciennes FC left-back Arthur Masuaku is the favourite to replace him.

 

Toulouse FC academy graduate Issa Diop will play in place of former AS Saint-Étienne man Kurt Zouma, who has an ankle injury, while the defence will be back-stopped by Paris Saint-Germain-owned Alphonse Aréola.

 

Possible teams

 

Lyon: Pollersbeck; Dubois, Boateng, Lukeba, Emerson; Mendes, Ndombélé; Faivre, Paqueta, Aouar; Dembélé

 

West Ham: Aréola; Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Masuaku; Soucek, Rice; Bowen, Benrahma, Fornals; Antonio

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