PARIS (AP)— Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Fernandez acknowledged his disappointment at Ghana midfielder Alex Nyarko's recent walkout, but said in an interview published Saturday the departure could allow the team to play more free-flowing soccer.

Nyarko, 29, quit the club that had borrowed him from English Premier League side Everton until June this year, after expressing frustration at not being offered a permanent deal.

With Paris SG languishing in 11th spot, the coach under heavy pressure from disgruntled supporters and with only a slim chance of a European place to play for, the timing of Nyarko's departure on Friday was ill received.

"When you take up a sporting challenge, you stick with it through the highs and the lows," Fernandez was quoted by the sports daily L'Equipe as saying. "His decision is somewhat regrettable to a club, a coach and teammates who maintained a certain amount of trust in him."

However, Fernandez, who represented "Les Bleus" 60 times over a 10-year period, found something positive in the situation.

"Alex has gone, but the soccer world won't stop because of it," Fernandez said. "With Nyarko gone, we can play with greater fluidity, play differently."

Nyarko, a defense-minded player with a mediocre tally of 16 league goals over nine seasons, was not renowned for his flamboyance or his contribution to offense.

Paris SG faced relegation-threatened Troyes at the Parc des Princes Saturday, with a hostile reaction expected from sections of the crowd after the team threw away a 2-0 lead to go down 3-2 at Guingamp a week ago.

"We understand their deception," Fernandez, 43, said. "It's up to us to get them back on our side."

Nyarko's future remained uncertain. Everton was unlikely to want him back, despite two and- a-half years remaining on his contract.

He endured an unhappy spell with the Liverpool-based side two seasons ago, and even threatened to quit soccer altogether when an irate fan ran onto the field to confront him over his apparent lack of effort.