Stade Rennais FC vs Saint-Etienne preview - Theophile-Catherine returns "home"

St Etienne defender Kevin Theophile-Catherine admits Rennes remains his club as he heads back to the Stade de la Route de Lorient on Sunday evening.

Theophile-Catherine made 86 appearances for first club Rennes before joining Cardiff in 2013 and playing in the Barclays Premier League in England.

But the 25-year-old full-back moved back to France last August having agreed a season-long loan with Les Verts and now returns to Rennes for the first time on Ligue 1 duty.

"It is a pleasure to return to Rennes," Theophile-Catherine told the club's official website.

"I come back from time to time to see my friends and family and Rennes will remain my club.

"I arrived at 14 and stayed to 24 and I was well educated at the club.

"The team has changed a lot after a year of transition but I always follow the club."

St Etienne lost 1-0 at home to Paris St Germain in midweek, Zlatan Ibrahamovic's second-half goal deciding the Coupe de la Ligue quarter-final tie.

But Les Verts are unbeaten in 11 league games - seven wins and four draws - and this impressive run has moved them up to third place and within three points of leaders Lyon.

"This is a club that progresses from year to year," Theophile-Catherine said.

"The group is mature and we have the quality to have a great season."

Rennes were beaten 3-1 at Bastia in their midweek Coupe de la Ligue quarter-final tie and they have slipped to ninth after failing to win in the league since the first week of December.

"We have to be at our best to expect a positive outcome," Rennes manager Philippe Montanier told the official club website.

"Even if they were eliminated from the League Cup, they had a good game against Paris."

Montanier confirmed that striker Paul-Georges Ntep will be out for several weeks after damaging a thigh muscle in last weekend's 1-1 draw at Evian.

"It's annoying because Paul is an asset," Montanier said.

"It will penalise us but we must make do."