Paris rugby giants Racing Metro and Stade Francais face a crucial weekend which will dictate their French Top 14 finals hopes before the two clash in a mouth-watering derby early next month.

With three matches of the regular season remaining, Racing are in fifth place while Stade are seventh, one place and six points outside the six play-off spots ahead of their clash on May 5.

Champions Toulouse and Clermont, who occupy the top two places, both have 78 points and are comfortably placed for the semi-finals.

Racing are at struggling Biarritz on Saturday, having won five of their past seven matches, putting their winter troubles, which saw iconic forward Sebastien Chabal quit the club, behind them.

“For a long time we were affected by players being away at the World Cup and then by injuries. But now we have found a little success,” said coach Pierre Berbizier.

Racing will be without lock forward Lionel Nallet who has a back problem.

They are already without prop Mikaele Tuugahala (ankle), lock Santiago Dellape (thigh) and halfback Nicolas Durand (thigh).

Stade, who face Perpignan, Racing and Biarritz in their last three matches, are in danger of missing the finals for the third successive year.

The Paris giants have invested heavily in their squad but their play-off hopes have been crippled by their away form with just one win on their travels this season, at Perpignan in November.

Perpignan are Stade’s visitors on Saturday.

Prop David Attoub could return for Stade after injuring his hand against Agen last month while hooker Dimitri Szarzewski, who missed last week’s game with Clermont, could also be a starter.

Clermont can take top spot, for a day at least, if they defeat play-off chasing Montpellier on Friday.

Third-placed Toulon tackle sixth-placed Castres on Saturday having lost their past two games.