If searching for an indicator of how Rennes have missed Edouard Mendy since the goalkeeper left for Chelsea in a £22million deal in September, one must only look as far as their clean sheet statistics.
In the 11 games played by Julien Stephan’s side so far this season they have managed just one shut out, coming in a 3-0 win away to St Etienne.
Last season they kept 15 in 41 games across all competitions (a reminder that the Ligue 1 campaign was cut short by coronavirus) and despite failing to score just once this season, the contrast is clear.
Their recent form has been poor, too, Saturday’s 2-1 win at home to Brest halting a run of four without a win.
In addition to that Les Rouge et Noir arrive in London on Tuesday afternoon with a number of injury concerns. Defender Daniele Rugani, on loan from Juventus, and last season's top scorer M'Baye Niang, formerly of Watford, are ruled absent on top of teenage star Eduardo Camavinga.
The 17-year-old midfielder is one of Europe’s hottest young talents and became a senior France international in August, making his debut as a substitute for N’Golo Kante in a 4-2 win over Croatia.
He then scored an overhead kick in his first start for Les Bleus against Ukraine, becoming the country's youngest goalscorer in more than a century.
This will almost certainly be Camavinga's last campaign as a Rennes player. Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund are among those to have registered interest in signing him but Chelsea will have to wait for a look at him up close.
