Brice Samba to start in goal for Rennes at Chantilly | OneFootball

Brice Samba will start in goal for Rennes against US Chantilly in the Coupe de France on Sunday. According to L'Équipe, he is preferred to 20-year-old Mathys Silistrie to maintain his rhythm after the festive break.

Rennes travel to Beauvais to face National 2 side US Chantilly. Silistrie, who extended his deal this week until 2029, started the 3-0 win at Les Sables, a National 3 club, on 21 December.

Coach Habib Beye said selection reflects the alternation with Ligue 1 following a week off at the end of the year. He considers it important for Samba to play consecutive games after Christmas, noting his return for the 2-0 league win at Lille on 3 January. Beye added there will not be fixed cup and league keepers, choices will depend on how he feels.

He intends to keep changes limited, as in the previous round. Because this is not a midweek match, he sees no need to rest bodies and does not plan to go beyond three alterations. Preserving the team’s rhythm and the cohesion of a very small group remains the priority.

Rennes will be without three players at the Africa Cup of Nations, Seko Fofana of Côte d'Ivoire, Abdelhamid Aït-Boudlal of Morocco and Mahamadou Nagida of Cameroon, plus Djaoui Cissé with a thigh issue. Przemyslaw Frankowski, rested late in the week, simply needs more recovery time.

Source: L'Équipe