André Villas-Boas has described Dimitri Payet as being as important to Olympique de Marseille as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are to their clubs as his side head to Girondins de Bordeaux looking for a 14th consecutive game without defeat.
Marseille have not been beaten in any competition since they were edged out of the Coupe de la Ligue by AS Monaco 2-1 in October. Since then, Les Phocéens have won 11 games, drawing the other two, and they make the journey west to French wine country as Paris Saint-Germain's nearest pursuers at the top of Ligue 1 Conforama.
One of the club's captains alongside Steve Mandanda and Florian Thauvin, Payet's influence on and off the field has been central to OM's revival under Villas-Boas this season. His six goals and three assists in Ligue 1 Conforama make him the team's most deadly attacking outlet.
Payet power
Payet's penalty in the 3-1 win over RC Strasbourg Alsace in the Coupe de France on Wednesday took his goal tally to nine in all competitions this season, and the Portuguese tactician is understandably delighted with the attacking midfielder who, at 32, shows little sign of slowing down.
Watch: Highlights of Marseille's 3-1 win in the reverse fixture
"Barcelona are Messi dependant, Juventus are Ronaldo dependant. If we're Payet dependant we're Payet dependent," he said. "Qualifying for the Champions League isn't possible without a player like Dimitri Payet. He'd be missed for his quality of play [if he left] but also his personality, his authority in the team."
Marseille's title-tilt took a dent last Saturday when they were held to a goalless draw by Angers SCO, but they remain second on 42 points, 10 back from PSG but with a nine-point cushion Montpellier Hérault SC who occupy the fourth and final European qualification place.
Stunning return for trio
Payet, Bouna Sarr and Boubacar Kamara were suspended for the Angers game, but were all on target at the Orange Vélodrome on Wednesday and can expect to keep their places. Morgan Sanson should come back into the team having been suspended for the Strasbourg game, while Florian Thauvin, working his way back to fitness after keyhole surgery on his ankle, is the only absentee.
Sanson was on target when the sides met in December, his strike sandwiched by goals from Jordan Amavi and Nemanja Radonjic as Marseille closed out a 3-1 win. Bordeaux had been third behind OM heading into that fixture, but after losing four of their six league games since, have slipped down to 10th.
Les Girondins were knocked out of the Coupe de France by third-tier FC Pau after extra-time last Thursday but rebounded with a 1-0 win at FC Nantes in the league last Sunday, with Jimmy Briand getting the only goal of the game at the Stade de la Beaujoire.
Watch: Highlights of Bordeaux's 1-0 win at Nantes
Briand finding form
With Briand up to a team-high six league goals for the season and Rémi Oudin pushing to start following his January arrival from Stade de Reims, Josh Maja may have to settle for a place on the bench. Villas-Boas's opposite number, Portuguese compatriot Paulo Sousa, thinks it will take time for his team to gel regardless of who lines up on Sunday.
"This victory can give us confidence at a difficult time," he said after the Nantes triumph. "We still have a lot of toom for improvement. We've got players who need time to absorb our tactics. We can't change everything in just six months. Everyone has to be focused on our philosophy to achieve big wins like we did today."
Time is up for Aurélien Tchouaméni at Bordeaux. The France under-20 midfielder has joined Monaco so Toma Basic is likely to partner Otavio in the middle of the park. With François Kamano set to shake off a foot injury, Sousa has a clean bill of health. Left-back Loris Benito is a booking away from suspension but is likely to be risked.
Possible teams
Bordeaux: Costil; Kwateng, Koscielny, Pablo, Benito; Basic, Otavio; Oudin, de Préville, Kalu; Briand
Marseille: Mandanda; Sarr, Kamara, Caleta-Car, Amavi; Rongier, Strootman, Sanson; Germain, Benedetto, Payet