Eric Bailly will be given until the last minute to prove his fitness when Olympique de Marseille welcome RC Lens to the Orange Vélodrome on Saturday for what could prove to be a European six-pointer.
Olympique de Marseille - RC Lens
- Kick-off: 19:00 GMT
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Marseille were leapfrogged into third by Saturday's visitors Lens last weekend. OM were edged in le Classique with Neymar Jr. firing Paris Saint-Germain to a 1-0 win, while Lens beat Montpellier Hérault SC by the same scoreline.
Les Phocéens had some 18 shots on goal at the Parc des Princes, while Bailly was subbed off just before half-time with a recurrence of the thigh injury he brought with him on signing on loan from Manchester United this summer.
Maybe Bailly
Marseille coach Igor Tudor was philosophical about the loss, while also giving an update on his central defender's potential absence.
Watch: Highlights of Marseille's 1-0 loss at PSG
"We were playing again the three best forwards in the world so it's normal to concede chances," he lamented after coming up against Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi, as well as Neymar. We showed a little too much respect for them, but it was a great experience for the team. I hope we'll learn from this experience and use it for the future.
"For Eric, we'll have to see in the next few days how he feels."
Defensive crisis?
Bailly's absence would be a headache for Tudor. Samuel Gigot was sent off after replacing the Ivorian against PSG, and is suspended for the Lens game, while Sead Kolasinac, a left-back who can deputise on the left of a back three, has a knock.
Lens don't figure to be Marseille's easiest visitors this season. Le Sang et Or have only lost one game this term - a narrow 1-0 defeat to Derby du Nord rivals LOSC in Round 10 - and such is their form that Franck Haise was handed yet another new contract last week, promoting him to general manager.
Watch: Highlights of Lens' 1-0 win over Montpellier
Haise: 'prefer us to be brighter'
"We weren't stressed before our last match, but we had the desire to bounce back from the derby defeat," he said after the Montpellier game. "A season is rarely linear, and I'd prefer us to be shining even brighter."
Lens are without Jonathan Gradit (fractured collarbone), Adam Buksa (illness) and Wuilker Farinez (ruptured ACL), but there should be no surprises in the starting line-up as they look to come away from the cauldron that is the Vélodrome with at least a share of the spoils.
Possible teams
Marseille: Lopez; Mbemba, Bailly, Balerdi; Kaboré, Guendouzi, Veretout, Clauss; Gerson, Payet; Alexis
Lens: Samba; Haïdara, Danso, Medina; Frankowski, Samed, Fofana, Machado; Sotoca, Costa; Openda
