Rayan Cherki’s half-time substitution against Reims down to a precaution | OneFootball

Quizzed by Canal + after Lyon’s 1-1 draw with Reims, OL manager Pierre Sage explained the reasoning behind his decision to substitute Rayan Cherki (20) prematurely. The France U21 international was replaced at half-time by Ernest Nuamah who scored Lyon’s only goal in the match.

With Cherki replaced at the break, fans of Les Gones were left wondering if the decision was due to an injury precaution or down to his performance in the first half. However, when consulted by the media, Sage confirmed that the decision to replace the 20-year-old with Nuamah was due to an injury precaution. Games are coming thick and fast for OL after the international break with their Coupe de France quarter-final against Valenciennes on Wednesday fast approaching.

A ‘preventative’ switch

When asked about the decision to replace Cherki at half-time, Sage said, “A sanction? It was preventative. He had a small alert with discomfort in his calf.” Considering the Lyon attacking midfielder’s impressive record in the Coupe de France, Pierre Sage was clearly thinking about the bigger picture when removing the 20-year-old at half-time.

GFFN | Liam Wraith