Stade Rennais FC - RC Lens

- Kick-off: 20:00 CET

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Lens travel to Rennes' Roahzon Park on Saturday for what is a European six-pointer, with the visitors in third on 57 points and their Breton hosts two places back on 50.

Les Sang et Or have clambered back onto the Ligue 1 Uber Eats podium in recent weeks, and Openda has been large part of the reason why.

Openda's secret

The Belgian scored a hat-trick as Franck Haise's men beat Clermont Foot 63 4-0 before bagging a brace in a 3-0 victory over Angers SCO in the final game before the international break. Openda's personal trainer Siebe Hannosset has been key.

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

"A striker like Openda must do lots of sprints," he explained to Belgian sports outlet Sporza. "We teach his body to deal with situations with less oxygen so he'll be less tired at the end of the match and still have energy for that final sprint. Amount and quality of sleep is also an important part of how we've optimised Openda."

Openda drew what has become a rare blank as Belgium beat Germany 3-2 on Thursday, although he only came on for the last 10 minutes. The international break was an opportunity for some to recover, though, and Facundo Medina and Wesley Saïd could be available again after knee injuries.

Shock in Paris

While Saïd might compete with Openda for a place up front, Adam Buksa hasn't really got going since his arrival from New England Revolution, and an ankle injury means he remains on the sidelines with Jimmy Cabot and Wuilker Farinez, who both have ruptured cruciate ligaments.

Rennes beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 before the break in play - with Karl Toko Ekambi and Arnaud Kalimuendo on target at the Parc des Princes - and another win here would take them to within four points of the UEFA Champions League places.

Watch: Highlights of Rennes' 2-0 win at PSG

"We're doing the same job," Bruno Génésio said in support of Christophe Galtier after the shock result in the capital. "We're quite close. Of course I'm happy to have won but I also know how he can feel. There's an international break and I told him to rest well because we still have 10 games left."

The international games were less kind to Rennes than to Lens, though. Toko Ekambi and Christopher Wooh were both injured playing for Cameroon. The former is out for a few weeks with a pulled hamstring, while Wooh suffered a concussion.

Defensive injury crisis

With Warmed Omari and Adrien Truffert also injuring their groin and ankle respectively, Bruno Génésio has to contend with what is becoming a defensive injury crisis. Joe Rodon could get a rare start at centre-back, with Birger Meling replacing Truffert on the left.

Tottenham Hotspur loaness Djed Spence could be preferred to club captain Hamari Traoré at right-back, while Jérémy Doku has returned to training following a thigh strain, but may not be fit enough to displace Désiré Doué up ahead.

Possible teams

Rennes: Mandanda; Spence, Rodon, Theate, Meling; Bourigeaud, Santamaria, Majer; Doué, Kalimendo, Gouiri

Lens: Samba; Frankowski, Gradit, Danso, Haidara; Abdul Samed, Fofana; Sotoca, Thomasson, Fullgini; Openda