Ahead of the game at home to Lyon this Sunday (20:45 CET kick-off), Francesco Farioli spoke about two of his squad’s most in-form players: Evann Guessand and Melvin Bard.

“Evann had a great game against Lorient,” hailed the Italian manager, before putting the striker’s performance back into a squad context. “As I said in my last pre-match press conference, I’m happy that the attacking players are managing to contribute. I don’t have a ‘best XI’ that will be there from the start to the end of the season. There’ll be changes depending on the moment and the situation. I consider Evann to be an important player, just like all the other players. For me, he's a really important player. Defining him as “just an alternative” seems very reductive to me.”

Speaking unreservedly, the coach went on to highlight the performances of left-back Melvin Bard: “Melvin is one of three players who have pleasantly surprised me so far. His development has been excellent. I was slightly puzzled about whether he could adapt to our system, but for the last seven weeks, he has worked with total commitment and incredible application. He did excellently in the first two league games and in the friendlies. If a player were to come in to add to the squad, they would face stiff competition, as Melvin is doing an excellent job. He’s a hugely reliable and top-quality player. I’m very happy with him; he’s constantly developing.”