At the Stade de l’Aube on Sunday night, Marseille will arrive with the weight of a troubled start pressing hard on them. Seventeenth in Ligue 1 after five rounds, OM face 16th-placed Troyes in a match that could give its winner vital breathing room above the relegation places.
The Ligue 1 news
Marseille’s early-season position has come as a major setback after a summer shaped by financial difficulties and a limited transfer window. The club are second from bottom and need a result quickly to halt the slide.
Bruno Genesio must also manage several selection concerns. Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg and Derek Cornelius are injured, while Amine Gouiri remains a doubt.
There is better news from the returning players. Amine Harit and Himad Abdelli are available again, while Tochukwu Nnadi has resumed full team training.
December’s hearing before the DNCG still lies ahead for Marseille, but the immediate task is on the pitch. A win in Troyes would move the visitors further clear of the bottom positions and offer a much-needed platform for the weeks ahead.
Troyes have the same incentive. They sit one place above Marseille and can create a more significant gap between themselves and their visitors with a home victory.
The next appointment in France
Troyes host Marseille on Sunday evening at the Stade de l’Aube in a direct contest near the foot of the Ligue 1 table.
ESTAC will be without defender Anis Ouzenadji, who is sidelined by a knee injury. His absence weakens Troyes’ defensive options for a game in which neither side can afford another difficult night.
