Bandiougou Fadiga

Not fit to play in top flight

Fadiga (groin) has recovered from his injury but has been omitted from the squad due to coach Olivier Pantaloni's concerns about his reliability, according to Le Telegramme. "Ben's biggest problem is his injuries. He seems extremely injury-prone. Every time we felt he could play, every time we integrated him into the team, he suffered an injury that hampered his progress. This has been a regular occurrence since he arrived. We can see he has qualities, he showed that last year. However, in terms of reliability, muscular and athletic, it's complicated."

Analysis: Fadiga joined Lorient from Olympiacos last summer and has yet to play a single competitive minute for the club after an extraordinarily difficult season plagued by recurring muscular issues. Despite being physically fit at this stage, the coach has made a sporting decision not to include him given the pattern of setbacks that have prevented him from establishing any kind of consistency. It is a damning assessment of a player who clearly has some qualities but unlikely to contribute at this level, since his body has simply not allowed him to do so throughout his time at the Merlus.