Olympique Lyon will be without captain Cris when they visit Lens on Sunday. The Brazilian defender has a knee injury and will also miss Lyon's Champions League game with Schalke on Wednesday.
After a below-par start to their season, Lyon are unbeaten in six matches and have moved them up to eighth, just three points off top spot.
"For me, what matters is that in January or February, we are in a position to go for the title. That is the objective", Lyon coach Claude Puel told daily Le Parisien on Friday.
"Psychologically, it is never easy to come back to a club that you used to represent for several seasons. You want to play well and sometimes you try too hard," coach Dider Deschamps told reporters.
Forward Mathieu Valbuena, who scored in France's 2-1 victory over England on Wednesday, will probably be rested in anticipation of Marseille's visit to Moscow on Tuesday in the Champions league.
"The priority is to finish in the top five," coach Rudi Garcia told L'Equipe on Friday.
"I do not think the league will stay this squeezed up for long. For the moment, no one is consistent enough, but the big clubs, Marseille, Lyon, Paris, are all there."
