On Wednesday October 22, around 700 Rennes supporters came to La Piverdière to attend training open to the public. A friendly session which should reassure the fans before the clash against Nice this Sunday. But the afternoon quickly turned into a nightmare. Ludovic Blas, the Stade Rennais playmaker who scored a masterful assist against Auxerre, had to cut his session short after a strike. Visibly injured in the right ankle, the Martinican left the field limping, under the worried gaze of the supporters present. And since then, the radio silence of the club has fueled all the speculation.
Radio silence and cascading speculation in Rennes
What Stade Rennais does not say is that this injury occurs at the worst possible time. First on the sporting level: Rennes hosts Nice this Sunday October 26 at 5:15 p.m., a crucial match for Habib Beye whose position is now threatened. After four consecutive draws and only four points taken out of twelve possible during the last four matches, the Senegalese coach no longer has the right to make mistakes. The management, present during the last draw against Auxerre (2-2), did not appreciate the performance and discussions are already surrounding a potential change of coach.
In this context of crisis, losing Ludovic Blas would be catastrophic. The attacking midfielder, scorer of three goals this season and true mastermind of the Rennes game, has just delivered his best performance of the season last Sunday. Against Auxerre, he set several match records: three balls recovered in attack, four successful crosses, five passes leading to a shot. His decisive pass for Seko Fofana, the result of a superb collective movement involving Embolo and Lepaul, recalled his importance in the Breton offensive animation.
But the timing of this injury raises other questions. For some time now, FC Porto has been multiplying approaches to attract Blas to Portugal. President Villas-Boas and coach Francesco Farioli, who had already targeted the player during his time at Ajax, are said to have restarted discussions. An offer of between 14 and 17 million euros is expected for the following transfer window. The player, seduced by the prospect of playing the Europa League in a legendary stadium, would not be indifferent to this project. An ankle injury a few days before a potential winter transfer? The coincidence is intriguing.
An absence that could cost Beye dearly
The 700 supporters present on Wednesday all noticed the same thing: Blas left the field walking, certainly limping, but without particular medical assistance. Since then, no official statement from the club has specified the seriousness of this injury. Will he be available against Nice? How much downtime? The silence is total. In a club in crisis, where every match counts, this opacity gives rise to the craziest rumors.
For Habib Beye, the equation is simple: beat Nice without its best player, or risk his position. For FC Porto, this injury could complicate, or on the contrary precipitate, a hot transfer window. For Rennes supporters, concern is growing. And as long as the club does not lift the veil on the real state of his ankle, speculation will continue to swell. Blas' injury may just be a blow, but in the current climate at Roazhon Park it has the effect of a ticking time bomb.
