Marseille vs Shakhtar. Predicted line-ups and latest news

Tomorrow, on February 22, Marseille will engage in the return match of the Europa League Round of 16 against Donetsk's Shakhtar. Dailysports has curated the latest news on the match, along with the tentative line-ups of both teams.

Just before the game, Marseille made the decision to replace their head coach. Gennaro Gattuso was relieved of his duties, and in his stead, Jean-Louis Gasset was appointed. Gasset, who had been coaching the Ivory Coast national team this winter, found himself dismissed during the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 after a defeat against Equatorial Guinea (0:4). Marseille has inked a contract with Gasset until the end of this season.

• Also read: Champions League Round of 16: schedule and results

In contrast to the first match, Marseille will be without their central defender, Leonardo Balerdi. The Argentine will miss the match due to an accumulation of yellow cards. Additionally, central midfielder Valentin Rongier remains sidelined due to a severe knee injury.

A significant concern for Marseille could be the potential absence of their primary goalkeeper, Pau Lopez, who missed the match against Brest (0:1) due to a minor calf muscle injury. It remains uncertain whether he will be fit to play against Shakhtar.

Ukrainian champions Shakhtar will approach the second match against Marseille with their optimal lineup. The only player unavailable is the newcomer, Marlon Gomes, who sustained an injury while representing the Brazilian Olympic team. However, he has yet to make his debut for Shakhtar.

There were suspicions regarding the availability of Shakhtar's captain, Taras Stepanenko, who was substituted in the closing stages of the first game due to an injury. However, he is fit and traveled with the team for the match against Marseille.

Possible Marseille line-up

• Ruben Blanco – Clauss, Mbemba, Gigot, Merlen – Kondogbia, Harit, Ounahi – Sarr, Aubameyang, Ndiaye

Possible Shakhtar line-up

• Riznyk – Konoplya, Bondar, Matviyenko, Azarovi – Stepanenko, Zubkov, Sudakov, Bondarenko, Eguinaldo – Sikan

The first game, held in Hamburg, concluded with a 2-2 scoreline. The kickoff for the second match is scheduled for 21:00 Central European Time.