Nancy: The Semi-Preview

By: Martha | August 15th, 2008

Getting ready to watch impotently, like all the rest of us.

Gardiens: Letizi, Ospina
Défenseurs: Cid, Diakité, Gace, Hognon, Kanté, Jeunechamp, Yahia
Milieux: Echouafni, Faé, Hellebuyck, Traoré
Attaquants: Bamogo, Modeste, Mouloungui, Ozokwo, Rémy
Absents: Ben Saada, Rool (injury), Apam, Coulibaly (Olympics), Asamoah, Barul, Job, Moreau, Moussilou (choix de l’entraîneur)

Despite having just returned to training this week, Mouloungui is in the team and could well play a part tomorrow, while Ben Saada and Cyril #1 are both out, probably for the first of at least two matches: Ben Saada’s ankle is expected to keep him out for up to two weeks, while Rool’s torn calf will take two or three weeks to heal. Since those two are the only ones who were going to force changes in the lineup and Kanté’s recovered from an ankle knock, Antonetti will probably go with the same XI he started against Le Havre:

Letizi
Diakité-Hognan-Kanté-Jeunechamp
Echouafni
Fae-Hellebuyck
Bamogo-Traore
Remy

For their part, Nancy should be near full strength, with Berenguer and Calvé back from suspension, Brison back from injury and keeper Bracigliano having recovered from his own injury scare. They’re still without long-term casualties Biancalani and Adjet, both of whom have hamstring problems.

I’m crap at predictions and will probably never make one, but despite their top four finish, Nancy failed to score against Nice last season (0-0 and 1-0 to Nice), which is something to which we can cling — let’s hope that continues for one more matchday. (Yes, I know Lloris is gone, and that Rool and Apam are missing. Quiet.) For morale reasons — both his own and the team’s — it’d certainly be encouraging to see Rémy get off the mark tomorrow, and a win would be really nice, given the looming questions about the attack (and the keeper), and keeping in mind how shorthanded the team are right now.

*Photo by LSN.