Lille defenders doubtful for Rennes clash

Defenders Franck Beria and Aurelien Chedjou are doubtful for Lille's trip to Stade Rennes on Sunday.

Beria picked up a calf injury during the champions' 1-0 win at Sochaux earlier this week while Chedjou skipped training with a thigh problem after pulling out of Wednesday's game.

Lille are third on 45 points from 24 games, six behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

Olympique Lyon midfielder Maxime Gonalons has urged his team-mates to show more character after the seven-times champions lost their last two league games.

"We're going through a rough patch. We're all going to pull our fingers out... because in our last two games we were really bad. It was bad, we lacked character," Gonalons told reporters before Lyon's home game against PSG on Saturday.

Lyon lie sixth in the standings on 39 points.

Second-placed Montpellier, who trail PSG by one point, are expected to be at full strength when they take on in-form Girondins Bordeaux on Saturday.

"Everyone is healthy," coach Rene Girard told reporters. "I can ask anyone to be on the pitch and I know they will perform at their best."

Girard is expected to field the same starting XI that claimed a 2-2 draw at PSG last weekend.

Sixty percent of Ligue 1 players, coaches and presidents believe PSG will be crowned Ligue 1 champions, according to a poll in Friday's edition of sports daily L'Equipe.

Montpellier were second favourite with 24.3 percent of the votes and PSG full-back Maxwell believes the title race between the two sides will go to the wire.

"They have a real chance of becoming champions and they will fight until the end, just like us," the Brazilian told the paper. "There is only one point between the two teams. Every game will now be like a final."