The midfielder, along with striker Michael Chopra, missed the agonising 3-2 derby defeat to Swansea last time out due to a knee injury.
But while Chopra returns from his one-match suspension on Saturday, Whittingham is still struggling to get back to 100% and a decision over his availability will be left as late as possible.
Teenage right-back Adam Matthews sustained a groin injury while on international duty with the Wales Under-21 squad this week and he will also be assessed prior to the trip to Oakwell.
Midfielder Stephen McPhail is recovering from a thigh operation and will return until early next year, while on-loan forward Kelvin Etuhu is set to return to first-team training on Monday after fully recovering from ankle ligament damage.
However, full-back Kevin McNaughton could feature in some capacity, most likely as a substitute, having finally recovered from ankle and calf problems which have kept him out all season.
