"In the absence of Mikautadze, how will the OL fare under the new setup?"

Lyon Adjusts Striker Position Following Mikautadze's Departure

Olympique Lyon (OL) has bid farewell to Georges Mikautadze, who has joined Villarreal for a transfer fee of 31-36 million euros, leaving a void in the striker position.

In the past, Nino was not a traditional striker, but he often found himself in the striker position, allowing the wingers to benefit from more offensive opportunities. Mikautadze's departure means that the last true striker in the OL squad is now Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez, a 17-year-old prodigy who had an impressive preseason, scoring against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.

Paulo Fonseca, the Lyon coach, has expressed concerns about starting Gomes Rodriguez in high-pressure matches due to the risk of burning out young players. Sidney Govou, a former OL striker, shares these concerns and believes it is easier to replace Mikautadze than Fofana, and finding a player with Fofana's profile in Europe will be costly.

Potential replacements for Mikautadze could include internal squad forwards or new signings. Czech winger Pavel Sulc could potentially fill the striker position, having scored 20 goals in 54 matches last season with Viktoria Plzen. Adam Karabec could also get a chance at the striker position, after performing well in the last five minutes against Lens after replacing Mikautadze.

In Fonseca's system, Tolisso will have an important offensive role, and the wide midfielders may score more goals. The 4-3-3 system used by Fonseca reminds Govou of a similar system used in the past when Wiltord was the striker.

OL is selling players to replenish its coffers and does not have time for sentimentality. Govou acknowledges that the coach and scouts have a role in deciding who can play in the striker position.

Despite the departure of Mikautadze, OL hopes their young players, including Gomes Rodriguez, will contribute to bringing in precious points for the team. The club will need to adjust their team for the upcoming match, as they are missing a key striker.

OL will need to find the right balance between experience and youth in the striker position. The future of the team's attack remains uncertain, but the club is confident in the potential of its young players to rise to the challenge.