AS Saint-Étienne starts the 2025-2026 season in Ligue 2 with a crucial match against Laval, an event eagerly awaited by fans. This meeting marks the beginning of a season where the club hopes to return to Ligue 1. Prior to this first official game, coach Eirik Horneland took stock of the strengths available, highlighting the challenges and uncertainties facing the team. The summer was marked by the arrivals of players like Mahmoud Jaber and Chico Lamba, but the medical and contractual situation of some elements remains worrying, affecting the potential composition of the team.

Several key players face physical problems. Lucas Staas, the best scorer of the previous season, did not take part in the friendly but gradually resumed collective training, his return to the game against Laval being uncertain. Maxime Bernauer, a reinforced defender, left the last prep game prematurely with a thigh injury, compromising his presence. In addition, Zuriko Davitashvili, an international Georgian, would disagree with the management and would like to leave the club to join a team participating in a European competition, complicating its availability. Pierre Ekwah, whose purchase option was not lifted, did not return to the club, leaving a vacuum in the middle of the field.

Faced with these many uncertainties, Eirik Horneland admits that he still does not have all the answers regarding the team composition for the weekend. Many players are absent or in recovery phase, and health problems persist. He hopes to be able to align the most competitive team against Laval, while recognizing the difficulty of managing Pierre Ekwah’s situation and the uncertainty regarding Zuriko Davitashvili’s availability. The coach said he was aware of the challenges and was trying to prepare the team for this first game as best as possible, while keeping hope that some players would return to the group.