St Etienne vs Lens preview - Galtier calls for unity

St Etienne manager Christophe Galtier has called on his players to stick together as they attempt to maintain their European push.

ASSE have gone three league games without a win to see Monaco, who are undefeated in eight, catch them in the race for a European spot.

Galtier's men now hold onto the Europa League spot on goal difference alone while Montpellier, who have not lost in their last seven league outings, are only four points back.

Friday night's meeting with struggling Lens offers St Etienne the chance to put the pressure on those two ahead of the weekend's fixtures and Galtier is backing his players to keep fighting.

"The players are determined to stop this bad run," he told the French media. "I have no doubt about their desire to want to keep their current ranking.

"In a season, there are always difficult times; here we are.

"When the workforce is weakened, you have to try to get through this period with the least possible damage.

"We must remain very united and continue to think about the team and not ourselves."

Moustapha Bayal Sall and Kevin Monnet-Paquet recently joined a long injury list which also includes Renaud Cohade, Florentin Pogba, Benjamin Corgnet and Francois Clerc and Galtier admits he was frustrated in his efforts to add to his squad at the recent transfer deadline.

"What we were looking for was a reinforcement," he said. "If we could have found one or two reinforcements able to bring added value to the group, we would have done.

"We did not have the opportunities."

Lens currently sit three points from safety with no win and only one goal in their last four league games but coach Antoine Kombouare is refusing to be downhearted.

"We work and talk to try to score," he said. "But I have not begun to doubt my attackers. I have great confidence in them.

"I like many things they do on the field. I'm not disappointed with them but for them as they work hard and make beautiful things.

"I watch a lot of games and sometimes you get bored. What's good with us is that people who follow us cannot say that we do not apply the effort it takes to win games.

"I like to see my team play, I trust in my group. When I see what the players do on the field, I like it.

"I am proud to lead this team. They give me reason to believe in survival."

Alharbi El Jadeyaoui (ankle), Loick Landre (calf) and Deme Ndiaye (pelvis) are all missing for Lens through injury.