Striker Sylvain Wiltord's lawyer is urging Rennes to make their position clear regarding his client's future at the club.

Wiltord, 33, was on Thursday axed from Rennes' professional squad following his public criticism of coach Guy Lacombe.

The former France forward claimed he was no longer wanted by Lacombe and felt he was not being selected in the first team for non-footballing reasons.

Rennes quickly moved to drop Wiltord from their squad "until further notice" but Fabrice Henon-Hilaire, the player's legal representative, has demanded his client be recalled.

And he also wants to hold talks with representatives of the Brittany club to find out where Wiltord's future lies.

"I officially contest the punishment that has been applied on Sylvain and I ask that it is lifted immediately," said Henon-Hilaire.

"I appeal to the club to make their position clear as regards Sylvain. The good relationship I have with president (Frederic) Saint-Sernin and (general manager) Msr (Pierre) Dreossi leads me to think that Rennes aren't looking to part with Sylvain by these hare-brained ways.

"I hope that we can have constructive talks with everyone very soon. Rennes must accept the consequences of the decision of their coach."

He added in L'Equipe: "I would like to know what we do now that Guy Lacombe has acknowledged he wishes to do without the services of Sylvain."

Wiltord joined Rennes from Lyon last summer but has experienced mixed fortunes over the past 12 months.

Since Lacombe replaced Dreossi as coach midway through last season, Wiltord has been mainly used as a substitute.

Wiltord started the first six matches of Lacombe's tenure, but hardly featured in the final 14 games of the season.

In that time, Rennes' results improved so that pattern is set to continue into the forthcoming campaign.

He will play no part in Rennes' opening match of the Ligue 1 season, a home fixture against Marseille on Saturday.