Meunier to be asked to step up in the long-term absence of Tiago Santos, and that is liable to mean the Belgian starts this game and, probably, plays the duration of the 90 minutes. This is especially likely given that he was not called up for international duty in order to be able to rest.

The veteran defender lies joint third among Lille players in terms of total shots in Ligue 1 this season with eight, posting 2.16 per 90 minutes, which stands fifth in the team when it comes to players who have featured for at least 200 minutes.

Full-backs are being asked to play a progressive role for Lille under new head coach Bruno Genesio, and this suits Meunier, who started his career in a more attacking role. This is highlighted by the fact that Tiago Santos, the man Meunier will replace, had 1.78 shots per 90, so it is clearly a very definite tactical ploy that we can expect to continue even when the personnel change.

Bakker is expected to make his first start in Ligue 1 this season due to Gabriel Gudmundsson having played twice with Sweden over the international break.

He has only played 74 minutes of league football this season but has committed three fouls in that time at a rate of 3.75 per 90 minutes, alongside making fouls in each of the two Champions League matches he has started.

Could find himself up against an incredibly awkward opponent in the form of Aleksandr Golovin, who has won fouls at a rate of 3.33 per 90 in the league this season, or even Eliesse Ben Seghir, who has won 22 fouls this season at 4.31 per 90 – the second highest figure in the whole league.

Bakker will be asked to get forward, which will see him get into non-dangerous areas to commit fouls but may also leave space in behind him that requires a tactical foul.

Monaco have played eight successive matches in all competitions that have seen at least two goals scored, while the statistics show this is no fluke. Prior to their 2-1 win against Rennes before the international break, they have played eight successive fixtures in which the lowest combined xG between the two teams was 1.7xG. It had never dipped below 2.2xG in Ligue 1 before the Rennes clash, which generated just 1.3xG.

Six of Lille’s last seven Ligue 1 matches have produced at least two goals. The exception was their 1-0 loss in Saint-Etienne following the previous international break.

Like Monaco, the xG figures in Lille’s games show they are a team liable to be involved in lively affairs. The lowest combined xG in one of their fixtures this season has been 1.5, which this figure has not dipped below 2.4 in any of their last five league fixtures.

Monaco are undefeated this season and have won four of their five matches at Stade Louis II, including a historic Champions League victory over Barcelona.

Lille have only won two of their six away fixtures in all competitions this season. Their last road trip saw them beat Le Havre, but they are a struggling team and Bruno Genesio’s side had lost their three prior to that game in rather disappointing fashion. This poor run of form on the road also included a Friday night loss against Saint-Etienne following the previous international break this season – a game top scorer Jonathan David did not start.

Monaco are undefeated in their last five home matches with Lille, although the three games prior to April’s 1-0 win were all draws.

Coming back from international duty can be a delicate time for top teams, particularly if they have had several players away, so backing Monaco via a handicap offers some insurance against a slip up.

Golovin hasn’t managed to have a shot on target for Monaco yet this season, but that could change this Friday. Since he didn’t have to travel for international duty, he’s fresh and ready, and it feels like it’s only a matter of time before he starts hitting the mark again.

He’s currently averaging 2 shots per game in Ligue 1, and even though none of them have been on target so far, that’s pretty unusual for him. Last season, he had a shooting accuracy of 51% in Ligue 1 and 43.2% the season before, so he’s definitely capable of better.

Monaco have won at least four corners in each of their nine competitive fixtures so far this season and are primed to continue that trend against Lille on Friday.

They have been especially strong at winning corners in their home matches, picking up 24 corners across their four home Ligue 1 games, with very little variance in the number of these situations they have won. Monaco won six in their last two home games, plus seven previously against Lyon and five against Saint-Etienne on the opening weekend of the season.

Lille have conceded the fewest corners in Ligue 1 so far this season but they have conceded at least five in two of their last three top-flight fixtures. These came against Strasbourg and Toulouse, both of which were away from home. They are relatively modest opponents compared to the one they are set to face in the form of Monaco.