Stade Rennais host Olympique de Marseille on Saturday at 8:45pm in matchday four of Ligue 1. Franck Haise is set to shake up his starting lineup, according to But! Football Club. But! Football Club first reported the story.
Quentin Merlin, who did not fully convince in the win over Angers, could lose his spot to Mahamadou Nagida on the left side of defense. Nagida already started there against Paris Saint-Germain, a match that showed he knows the role well.
Anthony Rouault is expected to keep his place at centre back for Stade Rennais. He would again line up alongside Charlie Cresswell, who started in the win over Angers, to form the central defensive pairing.
Why the midfield is set for a different look
Sebastian Szymański could lose his starting spot as part of a reshuffle planned by Franck Haise. Ludovic Blas, on the other hand, is expected to keep his place in the Stade Rennais eleven.
Haise is considering a switch from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-1-4-1, with Valentin Rongier dropping into a deeper midfield role. The change is aimed at controlling space better against Marseille's usual high press.
Abdelhamid Aït-Boudlal has returned to the Stade Rennais squad for this match but is expected to wait for a starting role, according to But! Football Club. Competition for places is strong across the lineup.
Franck Haise acknowledged the depth of his squad ahead of facing Marseille, saying: "Haise is preparing several surprises in his lineup!" That internal competition is pushing every player to perform in training.
Stade Rennais play three matches in nine days before the international break, which partly explains the rotation Franck Haise has signaled. Managing the group this way is meant to protect the fitness of key players.
Supporters can check the club's upcoming fixtures on the fixtures page, while the senior squad list is available on the squad page, and the Ligue 1 table can be found on the standings page.
