Olympique de Marseille - RC Lens

- Kick-off: 20:00 GMT

Marseille play the first of their two games in hand over the five teams above them in the table - a collection which could shrink to three if they win both - when they welcome Lens to the Orange Vélodrome.

Only the top two - Paris Saint Germain and LOSC - have conceded fewer goals than OM's 18 this season, although their miserly defensive record has been built on a bedrock of Alvaro and Duje Caleta-Car, with Balerdi largely watching on from the bench since his summer arrival from Borussia Dortmund.

'Give everything'

"I haven't had much playing time lately, but I'm ready to take over," he asserted at the pre-match press conference, which he attended alongside Villas-Boas. "I give everything in training to prove to the coach that I can play."

Despite their lofty league position, Marseille have lost two of their last three games, and only won three of their previous 10 in all competitions. A 2-1 loss to bottom club Nîmes Olympique last Saturday was of particular chagrin.

Watch:Highlights of Marseille's loss to Nîmes

"We've lacked confidence," explained Balerdi, who, at 21, is 10 years Alvaro's junior. "If we improve on this point and work hard for each other as a team, we can reverse this trend. We've picked up a few points but with the quality of the team we can end the season in a better way."

Mandanda return?

Marseille could also be without club captain Steve Mandanda and first-choice left-back Jordan Amavi, the pair both sporting thigh injuries, although the former has at least travelled. Boubacar Kamara is also out.

OM will be grateful to be facing the Lens of recent weeks rather than the one that who occupied the podium after six rounds of games. Le Sang et Or have dropped 11 of the last 15 possible points and head to the Vélodrome in 10th with four fewer points than their hosts.

Watch: Highlights of Lens' 1-1 draw with Nantes

There was promise in their 1-1 draw at FC Nantes last time out, though, with Gaël Kakuta levelling the game late on after Imran Louza's first-half penalty, and coach Franck Haise remains upbeat.

'Legitimate point'

"This point is legitimate, deserved, it could have escaped us." He said. "It's good that we went looking for it. We struggled in the second half to reproduce what we did well in the first. Given the control we had for large periods, this point is logical, but obviously there's a bit of frustration in not opening the scoring."

Lens are without suspended captain Yannick Cahuzac while Loïc Badé and Corentin Jean remain sidelined with injury despite returning to training this week.

Marseille: Pelé; Sakai, Balerdi, Caleta-Car, Nagatomo; Rongier, Sanson, Gueye; Thauvin, Benedetto, Payet

Lens: Leca; Gradit, Fortes, Haïdara; Clauss, Fofana, Doucouré, Sylla; Kakuta; Ganago, Sotoca