Tipster returns to UEFA Cup action

Besiktas going strong
Turkish Super League leaders Besiktas JK remain unbeaten this season in 20 league games and are especially keen to do well in Europe in their centenary year. Dream Team defender Ronaldo Guiaro and French forward Pascal Nouma are two to watch, although they will have a fight on their hands against SK Slavia Praha who notched a convincing 4-0 victory last weekend against SK Hradec Králové.

Porto favourites
Meanwhile, giant-killers Denizlispor take on FC Porto. Deco has been in sensational form this season helping Porto open up a ten-point lead at the top of the Portuguese Super Liga. Also look out for Hélder Postiga, who made his international debut for Portugal last week.

Big-name setbacks
Eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, Liverpool FC's fortunes have continued to decline ever since. Michael Owen, however, is doing well on 12 points and Fantasy Football managers have shown they believe he can continue to shine by making him the most picked player of the game. With French internationals Philippe Mexès and Jean-Alain Boumsong in defence, AJ Auxerre will feel confident that they can keep him at bay.

Inzaghi injured
Italian favourites S.S. Lazio will be without forward Simone Inzaghi who has broken his left arm and will be out of action for up to two months. Coach Roberto Mancini's task will be to find replacements up front to take on Wisla Kraków, who eliminated Parma AC and FC Schalke 04 in the autumn.

Anderlecht in form
A 4-1 victory this weekend against R. Antwerp FC in the Belgian first division, with Nenad Jestrovic hitting a hat-trick, suggests that RSC Anderlecht are in form. They will be looking to build on an impressive third-round victory against FC Girondins de Bordeaux when they meet Hellenic National League leaders Panathinaikos FC on Thursday.

Alves among the goals
Hertha BSC Berlin moved up to seventh spot in the German Bundesliga on Sunday, Alex Alves scoring two first-half goals against VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach to leave them confident ahead of their game against the eleventh-placed side in Portugal, Boavista FC.

Dream performances by AEK
After entering the third round of the UEFA Cup from the Champions League first group stage, AEK Athens FC made an immediate impact by beating Maccabi Haifa FC 8-1 on aggregate, a performance which earned Vassilios Lakis and Grigorios Georgatos places in the Dream Team. Striker Dely Valdes will spearhead the Málaga CF attack against the Greek side.

Celtic without Larsson
Finally, Celtic FC striker Henrik Larsson, who has scored 24 league goals this season and is a contender for the ESM Golden Shoe award, has suffered a double fracture of his jaw and will miss both legs of his side's UEFA Cup tie against VfB Stuttgart. The German side, who boast high-scoring Bulgarian midfield player Krassimir Balakov, are third in the German Bundesliga and will be hoping to make the most of Celtic's problems.

Suspended players
The following players will miss the first leg of the UEFA Cup fourth round through suspension: Djibril Cissé of AJ Auxerre, Ilhan Mansiz of Besiktas, Luiz Cláudio of Boavista, John Hartson of Celtic, Andreas Neueundorf of Hertha Berlin, Fernando Sanz and Sandro of Málaga.

Forum
Join the UEFA Cup forum and discuss which players to pick here.