Nice vs Lorient preview - 7M sport

Nice vs Lorient preview



Posted Saturday, January 10, 2015 by PA

Nice coach Claude Puel has not yet decided whether to give Hatem Ben Arfa a starting role against Lorient on Saturday.

The midfielder signed for Nice earlier this week four-and-a-half years after leaving France to join Newcastle.

Ben Arfa fell out of favour at St James' Park, while a loan spell with Hull ended early - and player and club reached an agreement for his contract to be terminated.

Ben Arfa's last match came for Hull at the end of November, and Puel told reporters: "I do not know yet if he will start, if he will return. What is certain is that he does not have a complete game in his legs.

"But he has a lot of quality, it encourages other players to raise their level. That is very positive."

Nice could do with some inspiration having won just one of their last 10 games.

That came at Caen, and Nice be will looking to end a miserable run at their Allianz Riviera ground, where they have failed to win since September.

The playing surface has been criticised but Puel insisted that cannot be an excuse.

He said of the pitch: "I do not know if it will be good, I did not go to see it.

"Good or not so good, it will be up to us to adapt. You have to take the conditions that arise. It is for us to be strong in our heads to meet the challenge and not look for excuses."

Lorient sit three places and two points behind their opponents in 15th place in the Ligue 1 table and are bidding to end a run of three straight defeats.



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