Rock-bottom Le Havre's relegation to Ligue 2 will be rubber-stamped if they lose to Nantes tomorrow and one of Caen, St Etienne or Sochaux wins this weekend.
The Normandy club have been teetering on the brink for a while now but it has always been a case of when, rather than if, they go down.
Even if they grab maximum points against their relegation rivals at the Stade de la Beaujoire, it will surely only be a stay of execution for Frederic Hantz's men, who are looking to avoid a fourth straight defeat.
Nantes coach Elie Baup certainly considers Le Havre doomed and reckons the teams above Sochaux are more or less clear of trouble.
It is therefore two of four for the drop alongside Le Havre, according to the former Toulouse and Bordeaux boss.
"Even if it isn't definitive, there are two places left on the train to Ligue 2," Baup said.
"And it appears there are four teams concerned, and maybe one or two others depending on how the next two rounds of fixtures turn out.
"But nothing is sorted. As long as teams don't have 41 or 42 points, they can't say they are safe."
Baup refuses to admit Sunday's result is a foregone conclusion for fourth-bottom Nantes, adding: "In our situation, every opponent is difficult.
"I can't make a difference between Le Havre or Lyon. To us, what matters is what we do."
Baup should welcome back Christian Bekamenga (ankle) but Aurelien Capoue (quadriceps) and William Vainqueur (suspended) are out.
Le Havre defender Nicolas Gillet has been nursing an adductor problem that makes him a doubt, as is Jean-Michel Lesage (thigh).
