Angers SCO - RC Lens

- Kick-off: 20:00

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Lens were without the suspended Medina for last Friday's visit of Toulouse FC, but they still kept their fourth clean sheet in five games as Loïs Openda hit a hat-trick in a 3-0 win to move onto seven goals for the season.

Lens are five points off PSG but three better off than next-best Stade Rennais FC and FC Lorient. Les Sang et Or haven't qualified for the UEFA Champions League since the 2002/03 campaign, but those in and around the club are beginning to believe.

Squad building

Manager Franck Haise was handed a new five-year contract recently, and he is keen to build on his squad, especially in the attacking areas, even if Openda is coming into the form of his career.

Watch: Highlights of Lens' 3-0 win over Toulouse

"We're happy to have 30 points and also to have kept another clean sheet," he said after the Toulouse game. "We must savour it, but we also have to keep it up. The next game is always the most important. It's good knowing I can bring on Openda, [Florian] Sotoca and [Alexis] Claude Maurice.

"We've got six attackers and we know that Seko [Fofana] can play a bit further forward too, but Adam [Buksa] is injured again and we need to wait and see with him. I know we can still improve the squad, but we still have some time to work on it."

Openda to start

Openda will likely return to the starting line-up following his hat-trick, with Wesley Saïd making way. Massadio Haïdara will likely drop out of Haise's back three for the returning Medina. As well as Buksa, Jimmy Cabot and Wuilker Farinez are sidelined with cruciate ligament injuries.

Angers begin the day rooted to the foot of the table having picked up 22 fewer points than Saturday's visitors to their Stade Raymond Kopa.

Watch: Highlights of Angers' 2-0 loss at Monaco

Les Scoïstes are in freefall, losing each of their last five Ligue 1 Uber Eats games, most recently suffering a 2-0 reverse to AS Monaco at the Stade Louis II on Sunday.

Baticle: 'hard work'

"We're really in a difficult period," lamented Haise's opposite number Gérald Baticle. "How to fix it? It's always simply hard work. We have to analyse in the cold light of day what worked and what didn't. Lens have a lot of power and dynamism. When you're last you make mistakes, but we'll get there."

Baticle isn't helped by injuries to some key players. Souleyman Doumbia and Sofiane Boufal both have damaged ankle ligaments, while Loïs Diony has ruptured his ACL. Midfielder Pierrick Capelle has been covering for Doumbia at left-back of late, while Boufal's absence should see Adrien Hunou get the nod in attack.

Possible teams

Angers: Fofana; Valery, Hountondji, Amadou, Blazic, Capelle; Ounahi, Bentaleb, Abdelli; Salama, Hunou

Lens: Samba; Gradit, Danso, Medina; Frankowski, Samed, Fofana, Machado; Sotoca, Costa; Openda