Sané, less than a surprise

After An easy qualification against Nancy (3-0) in the Coupe de France, the Stade Rennais is returning to Ligue 1 football with a short trip to Caen, fifteen in the league table and recently knocked out of the Coupe de la Ligue by Marseille, confirming that Franck Dumas’ team is in troubled waters since several weeks already. For this excursion in Normandy, Frédéric Antonetti will have to do, as expected, without several of his African internationals, off to the African Cup of Nations. With Kader Mangane and Jonathan Pitroipa, the Rennes will lose two key payers at least until the end of January, while John Boye and Youssouf Hadji are more seen as utility players in the manager’s rotation. However, solutions to replace the Senegal international at centre-back are not lacking, considering that Onyekachi Apam, Georges Mandjeck and even Kévin Théophile-Catherine can take place alongside the unmovable Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik. Rested for most of the week because of a knee problem, Théophile-Catherine is present and more than likely to be included in the starting eleven.
In attack, and even though Jirès Kembo is in great form, the departure of Jonathan Pitroipa is a huge loss for Rennes’ attacking line, which will miss the Burkinabe’s impact. Yacine Brahimi and Razak Boukari will be good alternatives, unless the former Lens player returns to a centre-forward position as against Nancy despite the return of Victor Hugo Montaño, returning after his suspension like Tongo Doumbia and Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik.

The best goal scorer for the Reserve in CFA2 with seven goals, but still far from the nineteen goals scored by Lhadji Badiane in 2006-2007, Abdoulaye Sané returns in the professional squad, as a reward to his investment and his success since in arrived last June. Yet to make his professional debuts in France, the Senegalese could profit, as well as Cheick Fantamady Diarra, of the departures of Youssouf Hadji and Jonathan Pitroipa to the AfCON to show their ability. A young striker who is unanimously praised in the squad, as Abdoulaye Doucouré told us recently: “He is an athletic player, very fast, very powerful, He brings a lot by his calls for the ball and his finishing. He really is a player with a bright future, who always listens to advice from people surrounding him». All he needs to do now, is to prove it as a higher level.

Stade rennais FC

- Goalkeepers : Costil, Diallo
- Defenders : Apam, Danzé, Kana-Biyik, Mavinga, Théophile-Catherine
- Midfielders : Doumbia, Féret, Mandjeck, M’Vila, Pajot, Tettey
- Forwards : Boukari, Brahimi, Kembo, Montaño, Sané

• Injured : n/a
• Suspended : n/a
• AfCON : Boye, Hadji, Mangane, Pitroipa
• Manager’s decision : N’Diaye, Foulquier, Jebbour, Kandji, Dalmat, Doucouré, Issah, Rouger, Diarra.