Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi says four players are in contention to replace the injured Azzedine Ounahi as the Atlas Lions’ number 10.
Ounahi will miss Morocco’s two Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying matches against Niger, with the teams meeting in Casablanca on 13 November before playing in Rabat on 17 November.
The Panathinaikos midfielder was left out of Ouahbi’s 26-man squad after undergoing surgery for a complete rupture of the biceps femoris tendon in his right thigh.
Ounahi is expected to be unavailable for more than five months, with his return to competitive football scheduled for late March or early April 2027.
Brahim Diaz appears to be the most natural candidate to take responsibility for Morocco’s attacking play in his absence. The Real Madrid player is often deployed on the right wing for both club and country, but he is capable of operating centrally and has previously occupied the number 10 position for the Atlas Lions.
However, Diaz did not completely convince former Morocco manager Walid Regragui when used in that role during his early appearances for the national team.
Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Ouahbi kept his plans open and named three other versatile options: Bilal El Khannouss of Stuttgart, Abdellah Ouazane of Ajax and Amine Sbai of Angers.
The Morocco manager indicated that selecting the replacement for Ounahi would depend on finding the right balance within the team, rather than simply naming a direct substitute.
The matches against Niger form part of the third and fourth rounds of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. With Ounahi unavailable, Morocco must decide whether to use Diaz in a central role or turn to one of the three younger alternatives included among Ouahbi’s options.