PREVIEW: WEEKEND FRENCH ACTION Rich Fidler - Friday, August 28, 2009
Sochaux will host Monaco on Saturday evening, while Rennes travels to Stade Felix-Bollaert to face Lens the same day in Ligue One action.
Sochaux - AS Monaco
The home team will look to bounce back from last weekend's 2-0 defeat when they host Monaco at Stade Auguste Bonal on Saturday.
American striker Charlie Davies, who leads the team with two goals in the young season, is expected to get the start at forward for head coach Francis Gillot.
Gillot will also be unable to call upon Jérémie Bréchet, as the French defender recovers from a thigh injury. Midfielders Carlăo and Vincent Nogueira will also be missing from the gameday roster due to unspecified injuries.
Monaco and their head coach Guy Lacombe will be missing 22-year old defender Vincent Muratori. They'll also be without Park Chu-Young, the South Korean who scored five goals for the club last year.
The visitors come in to the match on a two-game winning streak, most recently shutting out Lorient 2-0 at home after posting an impressive 4-0 win over AS Nancy Lorraine on the road.
Lens - Rennes
Rennes will travel on the road to face Lens on Saturday after posting a pair of 1-1 draws the last two weeks against Marseille and Nice to sit a point behind the home team in the standings.
Carlos Bocanegra will once again find a place in the starting eleven as he'll take his regular place at left-back.
Head coach Frédéric Antonetti will welcome back Japanese midfielder Junichi Inamoto from suspension. The 29-year old was a welcome addition this summer from German club Eintracht Frankfurt.
Jimmy Briand and Bruno Cheyrou will miss out on the game, the striker and midfielder respectively, are still recovering from separate knee issues that will not see them fit for action.
Lens are riding a two game winning streak themselves, having posted recent victories over Grenoble at home and a shut-out victory on the road against AJ Auxerre.
The recently promoted club and their head coach Jean-Guy Wallemme will be without Tunisian goalkeeper Hamdi Kasraoui and midfielder Sidi Yaya Keita due to injury.
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