If Thierry Laurey was able to quickly include the absences of Jean-Eudes Aholou and Stefan Mitrovic – suspended respectively for one (accumulation of boxes) and three meetings (expulsion against Rennes) – he had to add two data to his equation to prepare for this trip at FC Nantes.
After having already missed the match against Rennes, feeling pain behind a knee after a tackle on Delort in Montpellier, Lamine Koné quickly forfeited in the week, victim of a crack in a toe. An absence compensated by the return of Alexander Djiku who should make the pair in central hinge with Mohamed Simakan in a four-way defense framed by Kenny Lala on the right and Anthony Caci on the left. In the goal, Eiji Kawashima showed against Rennes that the manager can count on him, even though Bingourou Kamara seemed to return to good form in training this week.
Thursday, Jeanricner Bellegarde was added to the list of injured, muscle damage to a thigh. Mahamé Siby is certainly making his return to the group, but he is so short of playing time that we cannot imagine the summer rookie of Racing being launched from the start at La Beaujoire.
In the midfield, Thierry Laurey will have to find the right formula between a diamond-shaped middle which suits Adrien Thomasson at the tip but who may seem wobbly without Aholou as the sentinel. The technician could be tempted to renew the middle four used in Montpellier by associating this time Ibrahima Sissoko and Sanjin Prcic in torchbearers, Dimitri Liénard (or Mehdi Chahiri) leading the left lane, Thomasson the right (which does not prohibit him from transplant to the center in support of the attacking duo Diallo / Ajorque, while we know that Lala will not hesitate to step up on the offensive phases).
The probable Racing team
Kawashima – Lala, Simakan, Djiku, Caci – Thomasson, Sissoko, Prcic, Liénard (or Chahiri) – Diallo, Ajorque.
Substitutes: Kamara (g), Aaneba, Carole, Ousmane, Chahiri (or Liénard), Lebeau, Siby, Waris, Zohi.
