Leaders Olympique Lyon will be without suspended captain Juninho and injured Ligue 1 top scorer Karim Benzema when they host second-bottom Valenciennes on Saturday.
Juninho was handed a two-game suspension after being sent off during last weekend's 1-0 defeat at Paris St Germain while Benzema, who has scored nine goals in 15 league games, is out of action for two weeks because of a thigh injury.
Coach Claude Puel will have to reshuffle his back four once again with Anthony Reveillere ruled out for the rest of the season after tearing a cruciate ligament in his left knee during the loss at Parc des Princes.
Fellow France right back Francois Clerc has just resumed running following the same injury.
Nice striker Loic Remy is set to return from a month out with an ankle injury when the surprise second-placed package host promoted Grenoble on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Lionel Letizi is very doubtful due to a rib injury and could be replaced by young Colombian David Ospina.
Girondins Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc warned his players they faced a potentially tougher game at strugglers Sochaux on Saturday than Wednesday's 1-1 home draw with Chelsea in the Champions League.
"When you play three games in a week, the third one is often the most difficult. We must not be complacent even though we can learn a lot from our positive performance (against Chelsea)," Blanc told reporters.
Bordeaux will have to make do without goalkeeper and captain Ulrich Rame, who has not yet fully recovered from a groin injury.
Third-placed Olympique Marseille should be at full strength in attack when they visit Toulouse on Sunday.
Karim Ziani, Mathieu Valbuena and Bakary Kone are available after recovering from slight injuries and will vie with Mamadou Niang and Hatem Ben Arfa for a place in the starting lineup.
Nicolas Plestan could start his first game since February when mid-table Lille host Lorient on Saturday. The centre back has recovered from an ankle injury that has kept him out for nine months.
Paris St Germain coach Paul Le Guen defended his decision to rest many of his key players during Thursday's 2-2 UEFA Cup home draw with Racing Santander with the Sunday's visit to Stade Rennes in mind.
"I still think we can not contest in every competition with always the same players. Paris St Germain need a good position in the league this season," Le Guen told reporters.
The former Rangers coach is set to recall forwards Guillaume Hoarau and Ludovic Giuly along with midfielders Claude Makelele, Stephane Sessegnon and Jeremy Clement.
