Lens vs Nantes will go ahead on Friday at 20h45 without Florian Thauvin and Allan Saint-Maximin, two players Lens has decided to preserve because of a small alert. The absences leave RC Lens with a different attacking choice for a match that was already drawing attention through a supporter poll on the replacement pairing.
Supporters Back Saïd Sima
Wesley Saïd and Abdallah Sima drew 64.31% of the votes in Wednesday's daily poll for the role of replacing the missing pair. That was the clear favorite over the other options, which received 17.55%.
The next preference gap was wider still. The Sima-Sotoca pairing got 11.8% of the vote, while Saïd-Sotoca finished with 6.34%.
Lens Selection Without Thauvin
Thauvin and Saint-Maximin were both kept out for preventive reasons after the small alert, leaving Lens to adjust before kickoff against Nantes. The timing matters because the club had already put the question to supporters two days earlier, turning the lineup decision into the main Lens issue before the Friday match.
That leaves the coaching staff with a public answer and a practical one. The poll leaned heavily toward Saïd and Sima, but the final choice still has to fit a lineup built around two absences in the same match at 20h45.
