Ribery had surgery on Thursday to repair a burst blood vessel in his buttock so will be unable to help his side extend their unbeaten run in the league to 45 games.
A club statement read: “Surgery became necessary at short notice because bruising associated with the damage was affecting a nerve.
“Ribery will remain in hospital until Sunday and will undergo a post-operative examination the following day.
“That in turn will allow medics to assess the length of the player’s lay-off.”
Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said: “I hope he can train with us again as soon as possible.”
Of Nuremberg, Bayern winger Xherdan Shaqiri said: “They’re on form and they’ll do all they can to trip us up,
“They will be aggressive from the start and ask us all the questions.”
Defender Jerome Boateng, whose side top the table by 13 points, said: “They work really hard and are incredibly aggressive. We’ve got to be prepared for that.
“It’s definitely a special game. The atmosphere’s always electric. It’s always great fun playing in a derby.”
Nuremberg, who are only outside the relegation play-off place on goal difference, were historically one of Germany’s most successful teams. They won nine league titles, the last of which came in 1968 – a time when Bayern had only won one of their 23 titles.
Midfielder Markus Feulner, formerly of Bayern, said: “We’re looking forward to it and the fans are up for this game.
“They will go into this game with a certain heady feeling – just like us. This derby is a huge match and it gives us the chance to compare ourselves with the best team in the world. We’ll try to put on a good display.”
Written by Steve Milne