Ian Cathro Benches Sohaib Naïr During AS Saint-Étienne Win

AS Saint-Étienne manager Ian Cathro dropped a regular starter for the first time this season, making the defender's place in the team uncertain.

The decision came during a 2-0 home win over Stade Lavallois on Saturday, a sixth victory at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard that pushed the “Verts” three points clear at the top of Ligue 2.

For the first time this season, central defender Sohaib Naïr was not in the starting lineup. A regular who had started every match he was available for, Naïr watched the game from the bench, a stark contrast to his previous 10 starts and 900 minutes of action.

In place of Naïr, Cathro turned to Kévin Pedro, who partnered Julien Le Cardinal in central defense. The pairing helped keep a clean sheet against Laval, though the opposition offered limited attacking threat, with an expected goals (xG) of just 0.19 and only one shot on target from four attempts.

Following the match, Cathro addressed the decision to bench Naïr, insisting it was not about a single player but about achieving the right balance for the team. “My job is to take these decisions and make these choices. It’s not just about one player.

It’s about the team,” he said, according to TOP Mercato. “My job is to put the right balance in my team, to have players playing on their strong foot, and to make these decisions. These choices are not explained by just one player.”

TOP Mercato noted that his presence on the bench “resembles more a sanction following his contre-performance against Guingamp than a choice destined to be confirmed in the long term.”

Despite that setback, Naïr’s statistical profile remains strong. He is the sixth-most used player in the squad and leads the team in aerial duels won, with 41 successes. His 11 clearances also highlight his defensive contributions, making him an effective presence in the air.

Naïr’s reputation as a reliable defender was confirmed by his former partner at Guingamp, Donatien Gomis. “He loves duels, he loves one-on-ones. That makes him a very difficult defender to get past,” Gomis said, as reported by Sport.fr. “He is ultra-regular, his team is too, and he is thriving there.”

Gomis went even further in his praise, calling Naïr “quasiment le meilleur défenseur de Ligue 2” (almost the best defender in Ligue 2). This external validation shows the high regard in which Naïr is held.

The benching has reignited competition in the center of defense. Kévin Pedro’s solid performance against Laval has given Cathro a tactical dilemma.

For Naïr, the focus now shifts to training and seizing his next opportunity. His status as an undroppable starter is no longer assured.