Olympique Lyon's frustrating wait for Argentine striker Lisandro Lopez to recover from an ankle injury appears set to continue despite the player already being sidelined for eight weeks with the problem.
"He still has pain [in his ankle]. We're waiting until he is completely cured... it can be any day," coach Remi Garde told reporters.
Fifth-placed Lyon, who are six points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain, host arch-rivals Saint-Etienne on Saturday.
Nicolas Nkoulou has made an impressive start with Olympique Marseille but coach Didier Deschamps has urged the centre-back to rid himself of minor errors he tends to make in every game.
"He does everything very well but he always makes that little mistake. When he gets rid of it, it'll be much better," Deschamps said of the former Monaco player.
Marseille, 12th in the standings and 14 points behind PSG in the wake of a mediocre start to the season, travel to promoted Dijon on Saturday.
Marseille are also sweating on Andre-Pierre Gignac's fitness after the France striker complained of feeling pain in his stomach.
Deschamps said Gignac, who made his comeback after a groin injury earlier this week in a 4-0 League Cup win against RC Lens, would face a fitness test later on Friday.
AJ Auxerre centre-back Adama Coulibaly would be sidelined for eight weeks because of a foot fracture, his club said.
AJ Auxerre, 11th in the standings, travel to promoted Evian TG on Saturday.
With Girondins Bordeaux lying third from bottom after a terrible start to the season, owner Nicolas de Tavernost said the club would buy reinforcements during the winter transfer window.
"I won't give any figure but I will talk it through with coach Francis Gillot and president Jean-Louis Triaud," De Tavernost told reporters.
Bordeaux, who travel to AC Ajaccio on Saturday, have picked up just nine points from 11 games.
