AS Monaco kick-off Week 6 against Nîmes Olympique on Friday without a win since the opening day, but with coach Leonardo Jardim insistent that there is more to come from his young charges.
AS Monaco – Nîmes Olympique 
>>LIVE scoring and statistics from 20:45 CEST on Friday
The principality side have been the envy of world football in recent seasons for the way that they have polished promising talents into the finished article before moving them on for a significant mark-up, winning all the while.
Thomas Lemar, Fabinho and Joao Moutinho departed the Stade Louis II in the summer, following a trail already trodden by Kylian Mbappé, Benjamin Mendy, Bernardo Silva and Tiemoué Bakayoko of the 2016-17 Ligue 1 Conforama-winning team.
Youth to the fore
Injuries to Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic and Montenegro forward Stevan Jovetic have further shorn Les rouges et blancs of experience in recent weeks – eight of the 14 players used in last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Toulouse FC were 23 or younger – but there is a feeling that performances have not been reflected by results of late.
Watch: Highlights of Monaco’s 1-1 draw at Toulouse
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Monaco lost 2-1 to Atletico Madrid in their UEFA Champions League Group A opener on Tuesday night, having taken the lead through 22-year-old Samuel Grandsir, and Jardim is confident that his team can bounce back against Nîmes and add to their current haul of five points domestically.
“It’s experience that makes the difference,” explained the Portuguese tactician at his post-match press conference. “We led 1-0 but were then lacking a bit of maturity. We conceded a goal with our defensive midfielder [Jean-Eudes Aholou] out of position. But it was his first Champions League game. We learn from our mistakes. I’m ambitious. All my life I’ve had the ambition to do better.”
Hectic schedule
Aholou picked up a knock against the Spaniards, so Youssef Aït Bennasser is likely to line up behind Youri Tielemans in central midfield on Friday. Summer arrivals Aleksander Golovin and Ronaël Pierre-Gabriel join Subasic and Jovetic on the sidelines with ankle injuries, meanwhile, so Jardim may be forced to keep rotation to a minimum, even given the quick turnaround before facing Angers SCO on Tuesday.
Promoted Nîmes might not prove to be the most straightforward opponents. Last season’s Domino’s Ligue 2 runners up have won as many games as they have lost so far this season – two – and if last Sunday’s 3-3 draw at Girondins de Bordeaux shows anything, then it is that the south coast club cannot be taken lightly, even on home turf.
Watch: Highlights of Nîmes’ 3-3 draw at Bordeaux!
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“We have to pick up points any way we can,” said Jardim’s opposite number Bernard Blaquart following the six-goal-thriller in which Umut Bozok struck late to ensure a share of the spoils. “It’s reassuring as a coach to know that you have a team that can score and get back into matches. This group have been together for several years and spend a lot of time together off the field. We play football to win and to let go, be happy.”
Savanier suspended
Gluteal and groin strains respectively mean that Denis Bouanga and Rachid Alioui will not be around for the good times yet, but former Genoa centre-back Loïck Landre should be restored to the starting line-up as he looks to return to full match fitness.
There will be no space for Téji Savanier, though. The midfielder picked up a five-game suspension for a tackle on Mbappé during the 4-2 loss to the France World Cup winner’s current employers Paris Saint-Germain two weeks ago, with Thursday’s review of the case coming too late for the Monaco game.
Possible teams
Monaco: Benaglio; Touré, Glik, Jemerson, Barreca; Aït Bennasser, N’Doram; Mboula, Tielemans, Grandsir; Falcao
Nîmes: Bernardoni; Alakouch, Briançon, Landre, Miguel; Thioub, Diallo, Valls; Bozok, Ripart, Guillaume
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