Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbi has identified four players who could fill the number 10 role during Azzedine Ounahi’s absence.

The Atlas Lions will face Niger in a double-header during the third and fourth rounds of qualifying for CAN 2027, with the first match taking place in Casablanca on 13 November and the return fixture in Rabat on 17 November.

Ounahi is unavailable for the next international camp after undergoing surgery for a complete rupture of the biceps femoris tendon in his right thigh. The Panathinaikos midfielder was not included in Ouahbi’s 26-man squad and is expected to be out for more than five months.

His return to competitive football is scheduled for late March or early April 2027.

Brahim Diaz the leading option

Brahim Diaz appears to be the most natural candidate to take over the role and assume responsibility for Morocco’s attacking play. Although he is often deployed on the right wing for both Morocco and Real Madrid, the two-footed player previously operated as a number 10 when he first joined the Atlas Lions.

That experiment did not fully convince former Morocco manager Walid Regragui, but Diaz remains one of the options available to Ouahbi.

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, the current manager kept his decision open and indicated that he could also turn to three versatile alternatives: Bilal El Khannouss of Stuttgart, Abdellah Ouazane of Ajax and Amine Sbai of Angers.

Ouahbi’s task will be to establish the right balance in the team while replacing a player who would normally occupy a central creative position.

The four candidates offer different possibilities for the Morocco manager as he prepares for the two matches against Niger. Diaz has experience of the role at international level, while El Khannouss, Ouazane and Sbai provide further options within the squad.

Morocco’s immediate focus is the November qualifying double-header, but Ounahi’s injury means the team must also adapt to a lengthy absence. His expected recovery timeline rules him out of the upcoming fixtures and leaves Ouahbi to decide who will be given the responsibility of playing behind the attack.