Wishes of happiness to be renewed

Here we go again! Three weeks after recording a ninth match without a loss in Clermont (1-1), and a few days after having satisfied the traditional end-of-year break, the Ruthenois are back in Ligue 2, this evening, in front of their home crowd of Paul-Lignon stadium. Facing the Red Star of their ex-captain Bradley Danger, very present in the Audonian group who has just returned from several weeks of unavailability for pubalgia on which he had surgery (read our yesterday's edition), they intend to resume their march forward. And since the period lends itself to wishes, their coach formulated one: continue to give happiness to people. “The stadium will be full on January 3 in Rodez, it doesn't happen often. This means that we give to the public and they also give us a lot. So we're having a blast! May we continue to have this osmosis between us. It feels really good. “

Defense to be recomposed, Nkada not 100%

However, refusing to mention any numerical objective for the 18 remaining matches, to be played in just over four months! And recalling: “ Last year at the same time, we only had three points more… What did I set for the boys? Sportingly, not to be small and to dream. Go for the maximum and not have regrets at the end. “While conceding all the same:”I have a goal, but I won't say it. Only Emerick (Darbelet his deputy) and the president know it. I'm a bit of a stickler (sic)but I know them and I know where they are capable of going.“

For this evening, it will in any case be without Eric Vandenabeele who had established himself in the center of the three blood and gold defense. His hamstring forced him to go out even before the break in Clermont, not leaving him completely calm, a return to training without any precautions being hoped for Monday. An absence that pushes the technician to recompose his trident. “We tried a bit of everything this week “, he did not hide. And the Laurent option in the center with Mambo to his left and Ngouyamsa on the other side seemed to emerge yesterday morning, to the detriment of Aurélien Pelon, while Joris Chougrani did him only his return to form.

Up front, home goleador Timothé Nkada is not 100%. If his thigh which kept him away from the field in December leaves him alone, a blow to the calf taken last Saturday prevents him “to have 90 minutes in your legs“. He is in the squad, but probably a substitute, while a 100% return from the man with 8 goals in 13 matches is estimated at “15 days or three weeks“.

Opposite, the Ile-de-France residents will be deprived of the suspended Mbock, and will still officiate with their joker who arrived in December in goal, Robin Risser. He could have a lot to do in front of the expected duo Baldé-Bentayeb and the blood and gold displaying the second best attack in L2.