Threadbare Palermo head for Spain

Absent players
Palermo came from behind to draw 2-2 at Treviso FC in Serie A on Sunday despite the absence of the injured Cristian Terlizzi, Salvatore Masiello, Mario Alberto Santana and Simone Pepe, yet Del Neri's squad has since been further weakened. Goalkeeper Mariano Andujar stayed behind in Sicily after his wife gave birth yesterday, but fortunately for Del Neri, No1 Matteo Guardalben is available after a lengthy lay-off with a knee injury.

'A few mistakes'
Meantime, captain Eugenio Corini has reacted to criticism of Italy's ninth-placed team. "We have made a few mistakes but it's only due to lack of experience," he said. "We hope to put in a good performance against Espanyol because we really want to progress in the UEFA Cup."

Pole position
While Palermo top the section alongside FC Lokomotiv Moskva with four points from two matches, Espanyol can steal pole position with a win having triumphed 1-0 at Lokomotiv in their opening game. That, coupled with Sunday's 2-0 Spanish league success against RCD Mallorca, should encourage supporters at the Olímpico de Montjuic in Barcelona.

Just reward

Lopo rested