Khalis Merah

ANALYSIS
Merah worked extensively to maintain his fitness over the summer before returning to training, making the timing of the injury particularly frustrating for the 19-year-old midfielder. His absence of around one month places his availability for the first leg of the third qualifying round, scheduled for August 4 or 5, seriously in doubt. The youngster made 32 appearances during the 2025-26 season and had been building momentum heading into what promises to be an important campaign for Lyon in European competition. A return at the start of August should still allow him to be available for the Ligue 1 opener and potentially one or two European fixtures if his recovery progresses as expected.