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Thanks to a run of six wins and just one defeat in their last 11 top-flight games, Lyon come into Round 31 in seventh place, their highest placing since they drew 1-1 at home to Toulouse in early October. 

They remain five points adrift of the top five and a guaranteed European spot for the 2023/24 campaign with just eight games left, but after back-to-back wins over Paris Saint-Germain and Rennes, Lepenant says Laurent Blanc's squad remain confident they can press on up the table.

"We know we’re not going to get much of a chance to make mistakes. It is up to us to focus on these matches. We are always motivated to win matches and participate in European competitions," said the young midfielder. "We are among the three best teams in the second half of the season. There are still games left. We are a little stronger, we are conceding fewer goals. We manage to link up and find each other very well. The improvement must continue until the end of the season."

Bradley Barcola has been central to OL's recent progress, but the France U21 forward, who has been involved in four of Lyon's last six league goals, misses out through suspension. Amin Sarr and Malo Gusto are unavailable through injury while Dejan Lovren, who has helped the team claim five away wins in their last eight trips, is a doubt following a leg injury he sustained in the Coupe de France semi-final defeat to Nantes last week that closed another avenue to Europe for OL.

WATCH: Lyon see off Rennes

"It'll be an open game with two teams who want to use their technical qualities," said Blanc. "Technically, Toulouse take risks but they still play the ball out from the back, even if they get punished from time to time, because they lose possession a lot in their build-up play."

Promoted last summer following a two-season absence from the top flight, Toulouse are not yet fully assured of remaining among French football's elite. They do, however, have a handy 12-point advantage over the bottom four, and coach Philippe Montanier saw his team boost their chances of survival with a 2-1 win at Montpellier last time out, only their second success in seven league matches.

"The end to the season is going to be exciting. Everyone will have to be ready for it," said Montanier, who named top scorer Thijs Dallinga among the substitutes for the south-west derby only to bring the Dutch striker off the bench and see him net the opening goal, his 16th in all competitions. 

WATCH: Toulouse win in Montpellier

"Thijs was very disappointed not to start the game. They saw that you always have to be ready. He was, and made a difference. That's great. The players make your decisions right. I had said that there would be changes due to physical and also performance-based issues. We had been on a bad run and we could do better. I'm going to use my full squad. I'm going to have a headache to select a team to play Lyon. The players are giving me good problems."

Montanier, who saw his team defeat second division Annecy last week to reach the Coupe de France final against Nantes later this month, will be without Rhys Healy and Brecht Dejaegere, whose concussion-enforced removal allowed Dallinga to come off the bench last weekend, while Mikkel Desler is suspended as Toulouse look for the three points that would surely make them safe.

"We still need a win to achieve our primary goal," explained Montanier, who would be the first Toulouse coach to defeat OL in 13 Ligue 1 games if he masterminds a victory. "That will then give us the chance to start looking further ahead and finish as high up the table as possible."

Probable teams

Toulouse: Dupé; Kamanzi, Rouault, Nicolaisen, Suazo; van den Boomen, Spierings, Sierro; Aboukhlal, Dallinga, Chaïbi.

Lyon: Lopes; Kumbedi, Diomandé, Lukeba, Tagliafico; Caqueret, Tolisso, Lepenant; Cherki; Lacazette, Dembélé (or Jeffinho).

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