Both teams are missing a raft of players owing to the Africa Cup of Nations, and must negotiate those absences in a game which has big implications in the race for European football come the end of the season.

Monaco suffered a 3-1 defeat against Stade de Reims on January 13, dropping them to fourth place in the Ligue 1 table. Adi Hütter and his team rebounded with a win against Rodez AF in the Coupe de France Round of 32 and will now aim to maintain that momentum as they return to league action.

This upcoming match against OM is crucial, as securing three points is essential to staying competitive for an automatic UEFA Champions League spot. Les Rouge et Blanc are still just two points behind second-place OGC Nice, who have also dropped points recently. Stade Brestois, meanwhile, have capitalized on both teams' recent downturns and to move into third place.

OM are also looking to get back on track after their recent performances. They had a one-all draw against RC Strasbourg on January 12, conceding an equalizer in stoppage time. After that, Marseille were eliminated from the Coupe de France in the Round of 32, losing on penalty kicks to Stade Rennais last Sunday.

Adding to the challenge of facing a Monaco team that is strong in attack, Gennaro Gattuso and his team have recently had trouble scoring goals. OM have only scored more than one goal once in their last six games in all competitions but remain three points behind fifth-place LOSC Lille – Marseille must regain their goal-scoring form if they want to secure a win, given the fierce competition in the race for European football next season.