Rennes will have the coming weekend off to prepare for their Europa League encounter with Arsenal after the French League (LFP) announced on Monday they had postponed Saturday's game with Nimes.

Rennes are the only French team still in the Europa League, although Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain are both still in the Champions League.

The LFP said in a statement they had agreed to help the Breton club to "prepare in the best possible conditions" for the first leg of their round-of-16 tie at The Roazhon Park on Thursday March 7.

Rennes have a French Cup quarter-final on Wednesday, meaning Saturday's league fixture could not be brought forward to Friday.

Nimes complained in a statement that they did "not understand this decision which will upset once again the calendar and challenges the principle of fair play."

"When you have a game called off for the 256th time this season," Nimes jokingly tweeted with the attached video saying "Again, it's a lot" as in recent weeks they have had to squeeze in home matches against Angers and Nantes which were postponed because of 'yellow vests' protests in the town.

Rennes are ninth in Ligue 1, a point ahead of Nimes and both clubs still have an outside chance of finishing high enough to qualify for next year's Europa League.