Stade Rennais Confirms Przemysław Frankowski and Arnaud Nordin Will Miss High-Stakes Brittany Derby Against FC Nantes
Key keywords: Stade Rennais, FC Nantes, Brittany Derby, Przemysław Frankowski, Arnaud Nordin, SRFC match absences, Ligue 1 2024/25, Rennes vs Nantes team news
The highly anticipated Brittany derby between Stade Rennais (SRFC) and FC Nantes, scheduled for this upcoming weekend at Roazhon Park, has been hit with major pre-match team news as SRFC officials confirmed on Thursday that first-team regulars Przemysław Frankowski and Arnaud Nordin will both be unavailable for the high-stakes Ligue 1 clash. Frankowski, the Polish international right wing-back who has been a staple of Rennes’ starting lineup throughout the 2024/25 campaign, picked up a minor hamstring strain during Poland’s international friendly against Portugal earlier this week, and club medical staff have ruled him out for a minimum of 7 days to avoid aggravating the soft tissue injury. Nordin, meanwhile, suffered a mild ankle sprain during SRFC’s first training session back from the international break on Wednesday, after colliding with teammate Ludovic Blas during a possession drill. The 26-year-old winger, who has scored 2 goals and registered 2 assists across all competitions for Rennes this season, is expected to return to full training next week but will not be fit in time for the regional rivalry match.
The absence of the two players is a significant blow for SRFC head coach Julien Stéphan, who has relied heavily on Frankowski’s dual threat on the right flank – he leads the team in successful crosses with 21 so far this term and has notched 3 assists in Ligue 1 play – as well as Nordin’s versatility as an impact substitute who can play across the entire front line. Rennes currently sits 5th in the Ligue 1 table, just 2 points behind 3rd-place AS Monaco, and a win against local rivals FC Nantes would help them keep pace in the tight race for a 2025/26 UEFA Champions League qualification spot. FC Nantes, for their part, currently occupy 11th place in the league table and are coming off a convincing 2-0 win over Toulouse before the international break. Nantes head coach Pierre Aristouy confirmed in his pre-match press conference that his side has almost a fully fit squad to choose from, with only long-term absentee Quentin Merlin sidelined with a knee injury. The Brittany derby is one of the most fiercely contested rivalries in French football, with the two sides having faced off 102 times across all competitions since 1946, with Rennes holding a narrow 38-35 win advantage over Nantes. Tickets for the match sold out within 2 hours of going on sale last month, with more than 29,000 fans expected to pack Roazhon Park for the sold-out clash.
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As a lifelong SRFC supporter, this news stings so much ahead of the biggest game of our season. Frankowski has been our most consistent wing-back all term, and Nordin’s pace off the bench has won us so many points lately. I really hope Stephan has a solid game plan to cover their absences, because losing to Nantes at home in the derby would be unbearable.
This is a huge twist for the Brittany derby. Frankowski’s ability to contribute both defensively and in the final third gives Rennes a unique edge on the right flank that they will struggle to replicate with their backup options. Nantes would be foolish not to target the gap he leaves on that side of the pitch if they want to pull off an upset.
Love to see this! Rennes have been punching above their weight for most of the season, and losing two key players right before the derby is the break we needed as Nantes fans. Our lads have been building momentum for weeks, and we’re definitely going to take all three points at Roazhon Park this weekend.
As a Ligue 1 analyst, I think Rennes still has enough depth to get a result even without Frankowski and Nordin, but the energy of the derby could make this a much tighter match than most predicted before the injury news dropped. I’m expecting a very physical, high-tempo 90 minutes no matter the final score.