Niang didn't play in Saturday's 2-0 loss at Benfica in a friendly. Stéphan said: "M'Baye didn't come to training on the eve of the departure for Benfica and that's why he wasn't there. I have shown to M'Baye, whether it was at Nice in a friendly where he played 90 minutes before the opening league game of the season, or at Lille, where he started, that he's an option upfront.

"I have said it before and I'm very pragmatic when it comes to our playing options depending on what we want to do and the characteristics of our opponents. If he started then I had my reasons for that. If he didn't start against Montpellier then there were reasons for that. There is competition for places and everybody needs to accept that and I'm delighted to have three forwards available to me."

"That something for him, whether he wants to leave"

Serhou Guirassy, from Amiens, and Martin Terrier, from Lyon, have both joined this summer and - speaking at Guirassy's official presentation - Stéphan was quizzed as to whether Niang wants away.

Stéphan said: "That's something for him, whether he wants to leave, and despite everything that has been said I started him on the opening weekend of the season. What further signal could I send? Now we have Serhou as well and we're delighted that he's here as he completes the profiles of central attackers that we have here as he has a different profile. We're delighted he's here and it was necessary to boost that sector. It was a priority and we announced that in advance."