M’Vila left to rest
Ligue Europa, Stade rennais - Celtic Glasgow, thursday 19:00 CET. After a poor performance last Sunday, Yann M'Vila won't play against Celtic. Frédéric Antonetti has decided to let him have some rest, like Mandjeck. Meanwhile, the Rennes manager will enjoy the return of Boukari and of the three players suspended against Lorient.
Sunday’s evening, answering questions about the lacklustre performance of Yann M’Vila against Lorient, Frédéric Antonetti admitted that his young player is paying for the accumulation of games since the beginning of the season, both with Rennes and France (a total of 21 games in three months). Against Celtic Glasgow, while he had made it clear since the the beginning of the season that he wouldn’t hesitate rotating the squad in the Europa League, the Rennes manager has now decided to dispense of his international midfielder for the game against Glasgow.
Already a substitute against Atletico and Belgrade, M’Vila will be preserved in preparation of the next game this week-end in Auxerre. He isn’t the only in this case, Georges Mandjeck who has been extensively used lately because of the lack of center-backs is left out of the group as well.
A rotation which is possible with the return of a few players. Now, only Apam - still in recovery - and John Boye - still injured for a few weeks - miss the call. Injured to the shoulder in Udine, Razak Boukari is coming back in a group to complete the attacking line: six players will now compete for the 3 spots.
Also coming back are the three players suspended against Lorient. In addition of Féret, who could return to his usual playmaker position against Celtic, those returns are going to relieve the defensive sector. Kana-Biyik should reunite with Mangane as centre-back, a reformation of a duo which hasn’t played together since the game against Marseille. Casualty of this “return to normality” in defense , the young Dimitri Foulquier has been left out, while Yassine Jebbour is still in the group.
Stade rennais FC
- Goalkeepers : Costil, Diallo
- Defenders : Danzé, Kana-Biyik, Jebbour, Mangane, Mavinga, Théophile-Catherine
- Midfielder : Dalmat, Doumbia, Féret, Pajot, Tettey
- Forward : Boukari, Brahimi, Hadji, Kembo, Montaño, Pitroipa
- Injured : Apam (fitness), Boye (thigh)
- Suspended : n/a
- Manager’s decision : N’Diaye, Foulquier, Kandji, Doucouré, Issah, Mandjeck, M’Vila, Rouger, Diarra, Sané