Following their hard-fought victory in the Ligue 2 play-offs against Rodez, which concluded in a 0-0 draw before a 7-6 penalty shootout triumph, AS Saint-Étienne now faces the formidable challenge of OGC Nice in the Ligue 1 promotion/relegation play-offs. On Monday, the day before the highly anticipated first leg, Saint-Étienne coach Philippe Montanier provided an update on his squad’s fitness. New Zealand international left-back Ben Old remains uncertain for Tuesday’s match at Geoffroy-Guichard due to a hamstring injury picked up against Rodez. A definitive decision on his participation will be made after a final fitness test on Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, Les Verts can welcome back Florian Tardieu to the squad. The seasoned midfielder, who has been sidelined since early March with a calf injury, is now declared operational and ready for action. However, young forward Djylian N’Guessan will be unavailable for the match, suffering from a fresh hamstring injury.

Questions also linger regarding the availability of international players either currently with their national teams or awaiting World Cup selection. Coach Montanier noted on Thursday that discussions are ongoing, stating, “We are still awaiting news, discussions are still underway.” This uncertainty particularly impacts Ben Old (New Zealand), as well as Ghanaian players Augustine Boakye and Ebenezer Annan.

Catch the full live coverage of the ASSE – OGC Nice Ligue 1 play-off first leg this Tuesday starting at 8:45 PM on ICI Saint-Étienne Loire radio.