By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
AS Monaco faces a shorthanded Olympiacos side tonight, Thursday evening, at Salle Gaston Medecin in Round 31 of the 2025–26 EuroLeague Regular Season.
The primary storyline remains the continued absence of Sasha Vezenkov, who has officially been ruled out for his fourth consecutive continental game. Despite traveling to France, the 30-year-old forward has not recovered from a lingering back injury. Missing Vezenkov is a massive blow to the reigning champions in Greece’s Stroiximan GBL, depriving them of his MVP-level production of 19.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Head coach Georgios Bartzokas finds his roster stretched to its breaking point. Beyond Vezenkov, the Reds are missing Thomas Walkup and Giannoulis Larentzakis. These setbacks join the long-term recoveries of Keenan Evans (Achilles) and Moustapha Fall (patellar tendon), leaving the Olympiacos rotation severely depleted despite their strong 20–10 record and second-place standing.
For La Roca Team, currently sitting at 16–14, this game marks a critical turning point. Following the departure of Vassilis Spanoulis and his lead assistants, Manuchar Markoishvili steps in as head coach for this matchup, instead of Sergii Gladyr. Monaco desperately needs a victory to solidify their position in the Play-In Showdown zone, as they currently sit just 0.5 games away from elimination.
In a significant lineup boost, German forward Daniel Theis returns to the squad, increasing the total number of available players to ten. His presence in the paint will be vital, especially with Nikola Mirotic still sidelined by a foot injury.