ASSE vs Stade Lavallois preview, Digi Mart USA News (Saint-Etienne, France): AS Saint-Etienne host Stade Lavallois on Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, according to a report published by Mediasportif.
The Greens come into the match after a difficult period, having lost 3-0 to Guingamp recently. The report describes the context as tense for the Saint-Etienne club, which needs to respond.
Lavallois arrive with a severely weakened squad, coach David Vignes is managing a very thin group. The club secured its survival through the relegation playoffs against FC Rouen in Ligue 3.
The injury list is long. Yanis Court, who suffered a meniscus injury, will not return before January.
Hermann Esmel has a knee injury, Corentin Fatou is struggling with a pelvic problem, and Sidi Bane and Oumar Konate are also injured for this match.
Francis Coquelin and Mattéo Commaret were absent from the last match against Boulogne-sur-Mer. The report says the absences strongly affect the visitors’ collective play and create a tactical challenge for the coach.
There are some positive signs for Lavallois. Alpha Diallo is nearing a return after playing with the reserve team, and Mamadou Samassa was on the bench against Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Julien Maggiotti is also back in the squad after serving his regulatory suspension.
The report notes that the club must manage a serious injury crisis, and the match will be shaped by this numerical imbalance. Vignes’ players will need to compensate for the gaps left by key players, and it remains to be seen how the strategy will be adjusted for Saturday evening’s match against ASSE.
