Huge blow for Czech international: Greif's teammate set for surgery and lengthy spell on sidelines

A teammate of Slovak goalkeeper Dominik Greif, the 25-year-old attacking midfielder was the club's second-highest scorer last season with 14 goals, 11 of which came in Ligue 1. However, lingering knee issues delayed his start to the new campaign, and he opened his account for the season only last week in the Europa League against Crystal Palace.

He followed that up with another goal in his next outing, helping secure a 2-1 league victory over Nice. "We lost Lois Openda for several weeks, and now we are losing Pavel. We know how important he is, just like Lois, and the impact he has had on our game since arriving. These are players we will truly miss," Lyon captain Corentin Tolisso told AFP.

Lyon entered the weekend as one of five teams level on points at the top of the table. Paulo Fonseca's side lead the standings on goal difference ahead of Monday's high-stakes trip to Paris Saint-Germain.

A mainstay of the Czech national team, he is set to miss at least the upcoming November international break. The Czechs will conclude their UEFA Nations League A campaign during the window with a home clash against Spain followed by an away trip to Croatia.