Lorient-Rennes preview: Doku out for derby success | OneFootball

Belgium international Jeremy Doku and Rennes will hope to arrest their poor run of away form and maintain their challenge for a top-three place in the Ligue 1 Uber Eats table when they travel to Breton derby rivals FC Lorient on Friday (9pm CET).

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Bruno Genesio's side have lost their last two away games — at Reims and Clermont — and have not won in three trips in the league, while they also slipped to a 1-0 loss at Marseille in their Coupe de France Round of 32 tie on Friday.

WATCH: Lorient's derby win on the opening day of the season

STADE RENNAIS FC - FC LORIENT (0-1) / Highlights (SRFC - FCL) 2022/2023

"There's no need to exaggerate or stigmatise the problems," insisted Genesio, whose side lie fifth in the table, five points off the podium. "We have to show more maturity and cunning in certain situations away from home. If we look at the Marseille game, which was a very tight game, there are positives even if we were knocked out.

"We played against a team that is in great form and which creates a lot of chances and scores lots of goals. When you analyse this game well, it was really keenly contested. They didn't create a lot of chances, we didn't either. I even think we took control in the second half before conceding. We know there are things to put right, but we're not going to get carried away with our away form."

In addition to Martin Terrier, Xeka and Arnaud Kalimuendo, Genesio has lost Lorenz Assignon to a long-term knee injury the young defender sustained in the Coupe de France loss as he looks to his side to build on their win over Paris Saint-Germain in their last league outing, and make amends for their 1-0 derby defeat to Lorient on the opening day of the campaign.

"We deserved to take a point from the game, maybe more, but football is sometimes fickle," said Genesio, whose side were beaten through Arthur Theate's own goal in the August sun at Roazhon Park. "Perhaps it helped us do what we have done after that. Defeats, if you think about why they happened, sometimes allow you to bounce back. That was the case after our difficult start to the season, because then we went on a good run. It sticks in the throat, but it's done. What's important is the match coming up, not what happened in August."

Genesio may not be looking into the past, but there is plenty of focus on the history of his Lorient counterpart, Régis Le Bris, who played at Rennes for eight years in the 1990s and then coached in the club's youth academy for a further eight years before joining Lorient in 2012.

Le Bris saw his side make progress in the Coupe de France with a penalty shoot-out win in a partisan atmosphere at Bastia and they now face Lens in the Last 16.

WATCH: Traoré strikes as Rennes defeat PSG

STADE RENNAIS FC - PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (1-0) / Highlights (SRFC - PSG) 2022/2023

"In the Coupe de France, the main thing is to be out in front at the end of the match. It's mission accomplished in a difficult game, as we had expected, against a good team and in an environment — with a strong regional identity — which gives them a lot of energy," said Le Bris, who has top scorer Terem Moffi — a reported January transfer target for a number of Ligue 1 clubs — back to face Rennes after the Nigerian forward missed the trip to Corsica.

"He had a little virus, he was suffering a bit, but I think he's OK. You can always interpret things, and he does have a virus. But it's been quite a destabilising period for him."

Defender Julien Laporte also returns after a hamstring injury while key midfielder Enzo Le Fée has shaken off an ankle problem.

Probable teams

Lorient: Mannone – Kalulu, Kaporte, Talbi, Le Goff – Abergel, Le Bris, Le Fée – Diarra, Moffi, Cathline.

Rennes: Mandanda – Traoré (cap), Wooh, Theate, Truffert – Majer, Ugochukwu, Tait – Bourigeaud, Gouiri, Doku.

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