Nice defender Cedric Kante maintains there are plenty of reasons why Saturday's mid-table encounter with Caen should be taken seriously.

The southerners are ninth heading into the final round of fixtures, while Caen are a point and a place further adrift.

Neither side can qualify for Europe and both are unable to drop below 11th in the table.

But Kante told Nice's official website www.ogcnice.com: "We want to beat Caen to gain some places in the table.

"We have pride in the jersey but we know equally that it is important financially for the club and its standing in the league.

"Moreover, a win would allow us to bring to an end this poor run of form at home. The current situation is bizarre - we were unbeatable for 13 months at home and then since Marseille on February 10, we can no longer do it.

"It is a sequence that has to stop and we hope to do it on Saturday. We are not on holiday yet."

Caen are in form having lost just once since the middle of March, and will be keen to finish a successful return season in the top flight with another away win.

Coach Franck Dumas will have to do without Gregory Leca (calf) but Remi Gomis is back from a ban.

Midfield chief Florent Balmont is suspended and is therefore missing from Nice coach Frederic Antonetti's 18-man squad.

Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is out with a hand injury but Olivier Echouafni (calf) and Lilian Laslandes return.

Striker Joseph-Desire Job does not make the squad.