Olympique Lyonnais manager Paulo Fonseca addressed questions about Endrick’s role after Lyon’s 1–1 draw against Paris FC, clarifying why the young Brazilian began the match on the bench rather than in the starting XI.
With Lyon chasing consistency and managing a congested schedule, Fonseca emphasized that the decision had little to do with form and everything to do with protecting a player still regaining rhythm after a long absence.
“We can’t forget that Endrick wasn’t playing for a year. He’s only
just started playing a lot of games,” Fonseca explained after the match.
“The last match was very intense, and it was impossible for the players to recover. If Endrick had started today, we would have risked another injury.”
Fonseca is taking a cautious approach to Endrick’s integration. After spending a prolonged period without consistent competitive minutes, the Brazilian forward is still building match fitness. Throwing him into consecutive high-intensity starts could jeopardize that process.
The Lyon manager made it clear that protecting player availability is currently the priority.
“We don’t want to take any risks and have more injured players.”
Lyon have been navigating injury concerns across the squad, which has forced Fonseca to rotate carefully. In that context, bringing Endrick off the bench allows him to contribute without exposing him to the full physical demands of a start.
Still, Fonseca admitted the situation is far from ideal.
“Am I worried? Yes, but I hope we’ll have more players available after the break.”
The upcoming international break could arrive at an important moment for Lyon. Additional recovery time may allow several players to return, easing the load on those currently available and giving Fonseca more flexibility with lineup decisions.
