'I'm going to talk to him' - Endrick set for dressing down from Paulo Fonseca at Lyon as Real Madrid loanee falls flat in defeat to Strasbourg

The hype surrounding Endrick since his high-profile move from the Spanish capital to Groupama Stadium was entirely justified during his initial weeks in France. He enjoyed a blistering start to life in his new surroundings, racking up an impressive five goals, including a spectacular hat-trick, and an assist in his first four matches in all competitions. However, the wonderkid looked completely detached from the rhythm of Sunday evening's game. Deployed on the right wing, the 19-year-old struggled immensely to impose himself against a high-intensity home side, eventually suffering a comprehensive 3-1 defeat at Stade de la Meinau.

Returning to the line-up for the first time since his costly red card against Nantes several weeks ago, Endrick was expected to provide much-needed clinical finishing. Instead, he found himself isolated on the flank, unable to penetrate a disciplined defensive unit of Gary O'Neil's men. The sheer intensity brought by the hosts seemed to overwhelm the visitors, and the young attacker failed to replicate the early magic that initially convinced Los Blancos to secure his long-term future.

When pressed specifically about the performance of the Brazilian international, Fonseca was blunt about his plans for a debrief. The Lyon manager told Ligue 1+: "I don't want to single anyone out, all the players didn't have a good match. I'm going to talk to him, I need to see what he could have improved in his game, but I do that after every game. Today, all the players performed at the same level – a level that was different from what we had shown before."

Heading into the clash in Alsace, the stakes were remarkably high for the visitors. A victory would have seen this Lyon squad equal the mythical achievements of the 2006-07 campaign. During the legendary Gerard Houllier era, Les Gones were the undisputed domestic juggernaut, setting a staggering record of 14 consecutive victories across all competitions between August and November 2006.

Instead of making history, Fonseca’s men were overrun from the first whistle. The Portuguese tactician acknowledged the broader tactical failures that plagued his side, admitting that his team was forced into urgent structural changes just to keep the game competitive. "We made adjustments in defence, because the first few minutes were complicated," Fonseca added. "They were finding spaces in our defensive line and in midfield. Afterwards, we managed to restore a better balance, but it was difficult to play with a two-goal deficit. We reacted well in the second half. We had the chance to equalise, but then they got a penalty and the match was over."

As they look ahead to a gruelling schedule, the pressure is squarely on the loanee to demonstrate he can absorb tactical instruction and bounce back to his goalscoring ways. Lyon face a crucial Ligue 1 trip to the intimidating Stade Velodrome to take on bitter rivals Marseille next Sunday, followed by a demanding Coupe de France quarter-final on home soil against a high-flying Lens side that currently sits second in the league standings four days later. Whether the technical staff decides to shift him into his natural central position for these massive fixtures or persists with the wide experiment remains the ultimate question. For now, he must prepare for a difficult, sobering conversation as he looks to prove that this French excursion can once again be a resounding success.