Olympique de Marseille will travel to face Stade Rennais on Friday night without two key defensive players. Manager Bruno Genesio confirmed that young defender Tochukwu Nnadi and midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia are both injured and unavailable for selection.
Both players picked up their injuries during the 1-0 defeat to AS Monaco two weeks ago. Nnadi is suffering from a knee problem, while Kondogbia sustained a muscular injury. "They are doing better," said Genesio, though he indicated a return before the upcoming international break is unlikely. Nnadi has opted against surgery to ensure a quicker recovery.
These absences compound problems for a Marseille side in turmoil. The club experienced a summer firesale and is on a run of two consecutive defeats, including a loss to Paris FC last Sunday. Faced with this crisis, Genesio is expected to start with the same team that lost that match.
The predicted Marseille lineup sees Jeffrey De Lange in goal, with a defense of Emerson, Nayef Aguerd, CJ Egan-Riley, and Timothy Weah. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Himad Abdelli are set to anchor the midfield, supporting an attack of Igor Paixao, Angel Gomes, Amine Harit, and Amine Gouiri.
For Stade Rennais, this match is a chance to build on a positive start. Stade Rennais FC beat Marseille 1-0 on September 11th thanks to a 52nd-minute goal from Adrien Thomasson. Their recent form stands at 1 win, 1 draw, and 3 losses from their last five outings, with top scorer E. Lepaul netting 3 times in 4 appearances this season. Kickoff is at 20:45.
More detail at sports.yahoo.com
