Preview: Le Havre vs. Lens: A Grueling Schedule Awaits Lens –

Le Havre AC – RC Lens Friday at 2100 CET (1900 GMT)

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Like those of most top clubs, the Lens squad has been decimated by international call-ups over the last two weeks. The problem for manager Franck Haise is that several players who have been on duty for their countries will barely have returned to the far north of France in time for the first match of Round 9 on Friday.

If you include players called up for youth international duty, thirteen members of the Lens squad have been away. Among them was Colombia’s Deiver Machado, who played in his country’s 0-0 draw in Ecuador in a 2026 World Cup qualifier in what were the early hours of Wednesday in France.

Meanwhile, Austria centre-back Kevin Danso returned from Euro 2024 qualifying action earlier than planned, but did so because he had a thigh injury. Forward Morgan Guilavogui also picked up a knock playing for Guinea, while Ghana’s Salis Abdul Samed, Uzbekistan’s Abdukodir Khusanov and Argentina’s Facundo Medina were all being monitored after long journeys to represent their countries.

With all of that in mind, and given that Elye Wahi is suspended as well as carrying a knock picked up playing for France Under-21s, the Lens starting line-up in Le Havre may well be quite different to that which started the 1-1 northern derby draw with Lille last time out.

Watch: Lens and Lille draw in northern derby

‘Always taking risks’

“We have to think first and foremost about the health of the players,” Haise said at a press conference on Wednesday as he looked ahead to a week which will see Lens host PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Tuesday before hosting FC Nantes in Ligue 1.

“I am not especially worried,” he said when asked about the demands of a busy fixture schedule. “We just have to adapt. We still have structured training sessions but we also need to look at each player individually and keep an eye on fatigue levels, playing time, how much travelling they have done. That means we have to break things down into smaller groups a lot more, as well as bring in players from the academy to complete the classic training sessions.

“Beyond that it is all about choices. When we have had these little series so far of three games in quick succession, I have made three, four or five changes each time. I will do the same thing in the games we have coming up, because for those who are also internationals we need to manage them and not overuse them. Even doing that you are always taking risks.”

Last season’s runners-up appear to have put a difficult start to this campaign behind them. They are unbeaten in five games in all competitions and have taken seven points from the lats nine available in the league. A win in Normandy will lift Lens above Le Havre in the table.

“They are a solid and hard-working team,” Haise said of Le Havre. “Every match in Ligue 1 is difficult and this one, in this context, coming right after the international break, on a Friday, is a bit of a strange one for us.”

Watch: Le Havre well beaten by Marseille

‘Come off exhausted’

Le Havre enjoyed a good start to the season after winning promotion, losing just one of their opening six games. However, they have lost their last two matches without scoring, following a 2-0 home defeat by Lille with a 3-0 reverse in Marseille just before the international break. This game is the latest in a tough run of fixtures for Luka Elsner’s side.

“There are lots of teams in Ligue 1 with strong squads like those of Lille and Marseille,” Elsner told reporters this week. “We need to get one or two wins and the odd draw in these sorts of matches. We need to prepare and believe, because otherwise it places massive, massive amounts of tension on our other games where it will be all or nothing for us.”

He added: “Obviously we might lose these matches, but we need to at least come away saying we really gave everything and the opposition had to really fight for the three points. If we do that, and everyone comes off exhausted and with cramp, I think we can beat anyone.”

Le Havre, whose next two matches are away from home against FC Metz and Toulouse FC, are without midfielder Rassoul Ndiaye as he serves a suspension after being sent off in Marseille.

Lens, meanwhile, are able to welcome back Jonathan Gradit after a ban as well as Massadio Haïdara and David Pereira da Costa following injuries.

Possible teams

Le Havre: Desmas; El Hajjam, Sanganté (c), Lloris, Operi; Kechta, Touré, Kuzyaev; Négo, Bayo, Alioui

Lens: Samba (c); Gradit, Medina, Haïdara; Águilar, Diouf, Mendy, Frankowski; Sotoca, Guilavogui, Fulgini

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