“I expect a quagmire”, the concerns of Michel Der Zakarian before the Coupe de France match

In what state will the lawn of the Léo-Lagrange stadium in Maubeuge which is hosting the MHSC match be? MAXPPP – Belloumi

Montpellier, diminished by nine absences, is preparing for a complicated match, this Wednesday January 24 (6 p.m.) against Freignies-Aulnoye, National 2 club (4th division), author of an exploit (1-0) expense of Quevilly-Rouen in the previous round.

"I expect a quagmire", anticipates Michel Der Zakarian before the meeting on Wednesday (18 h) in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France against Freignies-Aulnoye on the Maubeuge field. Initially scheduled for Saturday, it was postponed due to snow cover on the lawn and weather conditions in the North.

La pelouse a repris son teint naturel. Mais le vent et la pluie sont forts en ce lundi .., #CoupeDeFrance #mhsc https://t.co/haG8UuCdaA pic.twitter.com/OQYKEDb0cT

— ⭐️⭐️ (@thibautpaquit) January 22, 2024

"It has thawed and they are forecasting rain today and tomorrow. The ground will be soaked. That's how it is. If the FFF validates that we can play on a pitch like that… Anyway, we played matches like that in my time…" assures full of fatalism Der Zak, Monday during the press conference. "And the storm arrives, while this stadium is not sheltered" he specifies.

"You need a good mind"

That's how it is. It's the Coupe de France, it's a dive into the amateur world. Der Zak is precisely waiting for his team to express the level of a Ligue 1 club. "IYou need a good mentality, you have to want to fight the weather, the terrain, and the opponent. We must respect them and show that we are stronger than them. That we are capable of scoring goals and putting them in the back, he warns, knowing that his attack has been on the verge of running out of fuel since the mid-autumn.

The Montpellier coach is only worried about the risk of injury for a squad that has once again been significantly reduced. "My only fear is having injured players. Paris was afraid that these players would get injured but he played on a pool table (in Orléans Editor's note). We won't play billiards. It's football.

Report du match Entente Feignies Aulnoye Football Club vs @MontpellierHSC #coupedefrance pic.twitter.com/2BoogCQ4N0

— ⭐️⭐️ (@thibautpaquit) January 18, 2024

Nine absent

In addition to the six players: Kouyaté, Sacko, Sylla, Tchato, Bertaud, and Tamari, retained for the African and Asian Nations Cup until February 11, Der Zak will be deprived central defender Christopher Jullien and defensive midfielder Joris Chotard, suspended for one match. And, one of the two recruits: Tanguy Coulibaly, injured in the right shoulder in Brest (2-0) on January 14, resumed individualized training, but did not ;is not ready.

Der Zak must once again patch up a defense which benefits from the combined return of the two left backs: Théo Sainte-Luce (ankle) and Lucas Mincarelli (adductor), recovered from their respective injuries. Faced with the shortage of central defenders, he could return to a four-man defense "I'm not going to tell you how we're going to play" he laughs.

"Not aware" for Estève

The Swiss Becir Omeragic, who has recovered from his gastroenteritis, and Maxime Estève will be the only two professional central defenders. Will the Espoir international have his wits about him in this round of the Coupe de France when the transfer window (January 1-31) catches up with him ?

According to the Team, Burnley, a poorly ranked Premier League club, is preparing to make an offer to Montpellier for the young defender (21 years old), linked until&#39 ;in 2025. "I'm not aware" assures Der Zak, not spared by the quagmires this winter.