French media have their say on Ethan Nwaneri's new role as Arsenal star's crisis continues

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Marseille endured a 2-0 defeat away to Brest on Friday in what marked new manager Habib Beye's debut. And Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri was restricted to only 25 minutes as a substitute.

Following Roberto De Zerbi's exit , the struggling Olympiens brought back former club captain Beye, who had recently been sacked by Rennes, as head coach. The club had gone without victory in their previous three Ligue 1 fixtures before his arrival.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta acknowledged De Zerbi was a crucial factor in dispatching Nwaneri to France and so Beye's appointment throws the youngster into uncertainty. And having toiled in recent fixtures, matters deteriorated further against Brest.

Nwaneri was again left among the substitutes on Friday, with Beye evidently not considering him worthy of a starting berth. The 18-year-old entered proceedings in the 71st minute but could not influence matters as the turmoil at the club intensified and French media have now delivered their verdict.

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Ahead of the vital away encounter with Brest, GFNF anticipated that, under Beye, Nwaneri might struggle to secure an immediate starting position. A report stated: "Nwaneri is only good enough for the bench."

And their prediction proved accurate as the new manager opted for the rarely-utilised Arthur Vermeeren instead of him in an attacking position. The Englishman did enter and featured for 25 minutes, receiving a yellow card shortly before stoppage time.

However, he failed to produce anything meaningful and GFNF's assessment of another Marseille defeat read: "Shaken but not broken, they tried to get back on track. But nothing worked and their possession of the ball ultimately failed to create any dangerous situations."

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In the 2-0 loss, which arrived through goals from Brest's Ludovic Ajorque in the 10th and 29th minutes, Beye's confidence in Vermeeren could represent worrying news for Nwaneri.

Local publication La Provence reported: "For his debut in the sky blue and white, the former club captain opted for a textbook 4-3-3 formation. But one that had the merit of putting his new charges in a comfortable position, especially Arthur Vermeeren, who returned to the starting eleven after a month and a half on the bench."

Under De Zerbi, Nwaneri appeared firmly in first-team contention, but should fellow loanee Vermeeren establish himself, he may witness his minutes significantly diminished. When the teenager did enter as a substitute against Brest, he replaced Amine Gouiri, who represents one of the more prominent names in the squad.

La Provence's post-match analysis read: "Marseille sank even on this Friday evening in Brest. It was a disgraceful performance, particularly in the first half."

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Beye would have hoped to secure an immediate impact as Marseille manager, but ultimately fell short. His side were granted a late penalty, which Mason Greenwood failed to convert.

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With Nwaneri restricted to the substitutes' bench for the majority of the fixture, only time will reveal how he fares under Beye. But early signs suggest his dismal run of form is poised to persist.