Both Le Mans and Nancy have had seasons that have exceeded expectations and a place in the UEFA Cup still beckons for the two clubs going into Sunday's match at the Stade Leon Bollee.

Nancy's only realistic route into that competition is the Coupe de la Ligue - they play Nice in the final later this month.

However, ninth-placed Le Mans are four points off the fourth place that would mean UEFA Cup football at the end of the season and need to finish the season well if they are to achieve that.

Le Mans have had an excellent campaign in only their second year of top-flight soccer - after the first they were immediately relegated so in doing enough to stay up they have already delivered the best season in the club's history.

The biggest doubt for Le Mans is Daisuke Matsui - the Japanese midfielder faces a late fitness test on his injured ankle.

Nancy have already beaten Le Mans twice this season but Le Mans coach Frederic Hantz has shrugged off any suggestions of a jinx.

Hantz told club website www.muc72.fr: "I don't see them as our bogey team - I just see them as a team that has beaten us twice at their place - both those games were in a specific context.

"I hope it will be different at the Bollee."

Like Le Mans, Nancy were promoted last summer and have already done enough to stay in the division for another year as well as earning the bonus of a place in the Coupe de la Ligue final at the Stade de France.

Coach Pablo Correa has named a 17-man squad for the trip to Le Mans.

Jonathan Brison and Moncef Zerka are both included despite ankle injuries that have dogged them this week while Landry N'Guemo and Frederic Biancalani earn recalls for the Lorraine outfit.

Injured quartet Adailton, Abdoulaye Keita, Emmanuel Duchemin and Gaston Curbelo are omitted as is long-term absentee Dagui Bakari whose career is threatened by heart problems

Gergely Rudolf is out of favour with Correa and not included.