PARIS (AFP) - Champions Lyon should have no worries in stretching their lead over Bordeaux when they host French league minnows Sochaux Saturday.

With 15 games to play Lyon have a four-point lead on Laurent Blanc's side, who have emerged as the likely challengers to a crown which Lyon have made their own for six consecutive years.

However Bordeaux, like Lyon, have a similarly easy fixture in hosting basement side Metz. Barring catastrophe, the side which former France international Blanc has spectacularly revived this season are likely to keep biting at Lyon's heels.

Metz brought in a new coach, Yvon Pouliquen, in January to save their season but with only one win and a total of nine points from 23 games they are virtually guaranteed second division football next season.

Sochaux can boast five times as many wins as Pouliquen's side, but they are still second from bottom in the table on 23 points, three adrift of struggling Auxerre.

If there is any hope for Metz, it will be in the fact that Bordeaux's number one keeper Ulrich Rame is doubtful following an ankle knock in training Monday.

Defender Marc Planus is also uncertain, while Blanc will be without injured defender David Jemmali (calf) and midfielder Fernando (knee), although Blanc will welcome back central defender Souleyame Diawara, who has returned from the African Cup of Nations.

Similarly, Sochaux will also be buoyed by the fact that Lyon's dead ball specialist Juninho is doubtful.

The Brazilian skipper fractured the little toe on his left foot during the League Cup defeat to Le Mans in mid-January, and at training on Thursday seemed pessimistic over his participation.

"I'm still feeling pain, and it's not just a niggle. It's not going to clear up in time for Saturday," Juninho said.

"At training you can always fight through it. But the truth is that I can't even walk properly when I put my boots on," added the Brazilian, who could also be missing from the starting line-up for the Champions League tie against Manchester United.

"There's still another two weeks to go, but if I don't play any matches before then it's unlikely I'll start against United because against a team like that you can't afford to be less than 100 percent."

Nice, following a promising campaign, remain in fourth place nine points adrift of Lyon ahead of the visit of Marseille on Sunday.

On what is effectively a French riviera derby, Nice will be keen to prove that they are the on-form team of the south of France, this season at least.

After another shaky start to the campaign Marseille are just above the mid-table position in ninth, although a possible consolation for Eric Gerets' side is that arch-rivals Paris Saint Germain are below them.

PSG host Le Mans on Saturday.

Fixtures (all times GMT):

Saturday

Paris-SG v Le Mans (1500)

Bordeaux v Metz

Lyon v Sochaux

Monaco v Lille

Nancy v Toulouse

Rennes v Auxerre

Strasbourg v St Etienne

Valenciennes v Lorient (all 1900)

Sunday

Caen v Lens (1700)

Nice v Marseille (1955)