Habib Beye’s position as head coach of Stade Rennais is far from secure. The midweek draw to Toulouse FC (2-2) was the club’s sixth game in a row without a victory, and it has left every fixture feeling like a make-or-break game for Beye. 

Despite the Toulouse game being billed as a match to save Beye’s Rennes tenure, he was given a stay of execution and will be in charge ahead of this afternoon’s clash with RC Strasbourg Alsace. The former Olympique de Marseille player has gone for a similar set-up to the Toulouse draw. 

The one change to the lineup is that Breel Embolo has been picked to start up front alongside Estéban Lepaul over the teenager Mohamed Kader Meïté. On the bench, Ludovic Blas and Séko Fofana have been included in the matchday squad after they were excluded against Toulouse in a sign of rapprochement between the head coach and two of his would-be stars.

Rennes likely lineup v Strasbourg

Brice Samba; Musa Al-Taamari, Lilian Brassier, Jérémy Jacquet, Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal, Przemysław Frankowski; Djaoui Cissé, Valentin Rongier, Mahdi Camara; Estéban Lepaul, Breel Embolo. (L’Éq)