Toulouse may lack leadership without inspirational Didot

Toulouse will need to find a new leader on the pitch if they are to feature in the Ligue 1 title race as captain Etienne Didot has been ruled out for a short period with a thigh strain.

The midfielder has been a key component in Toulouse’s strong start to the French season, starting all of their league fixtures and chipping in with two important goals.

However, he only managed 15 minutes in the recent clash with Rennes before having to be substituted and Toulouse ended up losing the game 3-1.

This result saw them slip to fourth in the table, but they remain fully involved in the title picture as they sit just four points behind Rennes, who top the standings and have maintained an unbeaten record through the opening eight games.

Toulouse are 28/1 to win Ligue 1 and the loss of Didot will put more pressure on a young midfield that has performed so well so far this season and includes promising prospects Moussa Sissoko, Etienne Capoue and Franck Tabanou.

However, Antoine Devaux provides a slightly older head in the middle of the park and could be instrumental in ensuring the team retains its backbone in the coming weeks.

One of the chief problems Toulouse faced at Rennes was an inability to cope with the counter-attacking prowess of the home side, who seemed prepared to soak up some pressure and then hit on the break quickly.

Toulouse host Paris St Germain next and again could be susceptible to being caught on the counter attack, particularly with the creativity provided by Stephane Sessegnon.

PSG have also not conceded a league goal since August, which shows the difficulty of the task facing Toulouse to pick up the three points.

Marseille are the 9/4 favourites to win Ligue 1, with PSG 14/1. See the complete Ligue 1 winners betting odds market.