Dijon coach Patrice Carteron has been forced to spend much of the week building up to their crucial relegation clash at Lorient on Monday night answering questions about his future.

Despite numerous denials from those at the club, there has been no end to rumours that began earlier in the week suggesting Carteron - under contract until 2016 - would in fact leave in the summer.

It is claimed the coach has fallen out with club president Bernard Gnecchi and this could see him leave regardless of whether they survive the drop.

Yesterday, Gnecchi told L'Equipe there was no truth to the claims.

"The rumours are false," he said. "When things are not true, it irritates me."

Carteron has tried, often in vain, to turn attention back to a match which Dijon will begin in 19th place, but separated from 17th by goal difference alone.

"Earning promotion last year on a tight budget was very good for us," he told a press conference. "Now we have three matches to reverse our course and get out of the relegation zone. If we can manage to do it, this would be a new achievement for us."

Their chances will be boosted by the return of Sankhara Kumordzi from suspension and Chaher Zarour from injury.

Dijon travel to face a Lorient squad who are themselves only four points clear of the drop with three games left, but who sit as high as 13th place.

They have won two and lost two of their last four matches, but the victories came against Montpellier and Marseille, and that has given Christian Gourcuff plenty of encouragement.

"It's been a while since we played in a match with so much riding on it as this one," he told the club's website. "The wins against Montpellier and Marseille have done much to lift our spirits, but the problems remain."