Kylian Mbappe Lottin is in contention to start against Racing Lens on Saturday night following a tumultuous summer that has seen him frozen out of Paris Saint Germain’s first team training and the side’s trip to the Far East. The Qatar World Cup top scorer came off the bench to net against Toulouse last weekend but his goal couldn’t prevent the Parc des Princes based giants from drawing their second consecutive French top flight game. The Parisians’ goalless stalemate in the season opener at home to Lorient implies coach Luis Enrique is still seeking his first Ligue One victory.
Signed for €165m from Monaco in 2016/17, the world’s second most expensive player has been Ligue One top scorer in each of the six seasons he’s featured for Paris Saint Germain but he’s been locked in a contract stand off with club president Nasser Al Khelaifi over his refusal to sign a contract extension. Unless the 24-year-old changes his mind, he will walk away on a free transfer when his contract expires next season.
Racing Lens were deputy champions last season but have lost top scorer Lois Openda to RB Leipzig and vital player Sekou Fofana to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia’s Pro League. £25.7m recruit Elye Wahi and Andy Diouf are the new arrivals tasked with giving PSG a run for their money. The departure of Lionel Messi and Neymar da Silva Santos Jr – two thirds of the fabled MNM front three, dictates Mbappe is to partner Portugal’s World Cup striker Goncalo Ramos and former Real Madrid forward Marco Asencio.
France’s best supported club, Olympique Marseille, are targeting maximum points at home to joint leaders Stade Brest, having suffered the ignominy of being eliminated from this season’s Champions League by Greek outfit Panathinaikos. New coach Marcelino Garcia’s gamble on African stars Geoffrey Kondogbia, Iliman Ndiaye, Ismaila Sarr and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang is yet to yield dividends. The 1993 European champions could only draw 2-2 with newcomers Metz, leaving them two points adrift of the summit.
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Surprise leaders Monaco open match day three proceedings at winless Nantes on Friday night. The principality club are riding on the prolific form of Les Bleus striker Wissam Ben Yedder, who was among the goals as the former champions obliterated Strasbourg 3-0, a week after they bludgeoned Clermont Foot 4-2 on match day one. 1998 World Cup winner Laurent Blanc could become the first manager to lose his job unless he arrests a slump in form that has condemned Olympique Lyon to a relegation slot. Lyon travel to Nice on Sunday night.
FRIDAY
Nantes v Monaco
SATURDAY
Olympique the v Brest,
Paris Saint Germain v Racing Lens
SUNDAY
Rennes v Le Havre,
Strasbourg v Toulouse,
Clermont Foot v Metz,
Montpellier v Reims,
Lorient v Lille Metropole,
Nice v Olympique Lyon
