Smoking Schalke hit top form

Boasting more undefeated sides than any other UEFA Cup section, Group A looks sure to go to the wire. uefa.com rounds up the latest ahead of Matchday 3.

Schalke
FC Schalke 04 can move within a whisker of a place in the UEFA Cup knockout stages if they defeat Ferencvárosi TC in Gelsenkirchen on Thursday. The 1997 winners warmed up with a 3-0 Bundesliga victory at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, ending their hosts' unbeaten home record thanks to goals from Ebbe Sand, Ailton and Lincoln. Niels Oude-Kamphuis (hamstring) and Fabian Lamotte (ankle) missed the match and are unlikely to return in midweek, while Gustavo Varela is out until the new year with his knee injury.

Ferencváros
Ferencváros have never won on German soil but geared up for their next attempt to do so with a fine away win in the Hungarian First Division, with five different players getting on the scoresheet in a 5-1 triumph at third-placed Zalaegerszegi TE. Dénes Rósa's first-half goal was followed by second-half strikes from Aleksandar Bajevski, Péter Lipcsei, Marek Penksa and the goalkeeper, occasional penalty-taker Lajos Szücs, as Ferencváros stayed top of the table in style.

Basel
Swiss Football League leaders FC Basel 1893 followed up last weekend's 1-0 defeat at the hands of FC Schaffhausen by tumbling out of the Swiss Cup on penalties against FC Thun. Boris Smiljanic and Mile Sterjovski missed from the spot after a 1-1 draw. Christian Gross's side were without the injured Mladen Petric and Murat Yakin, who will not return in time to face Heart of Midlothian FC on Thursday.

Hearts
Hearts, the only team to have lost in Group A, will be eliminated if they succumb in Switzerland and they prepared with a disappointing 1-0 Scottish Premier League defeat at home against Motherwell FC on Saturday. Captain Steven Pressley and striker Mark de Vries were back in the starting lineup but midfield player Phil Stamp was left out as he continued his recovery from a long-term calf problem. Midfield players Patrick Kisnorbo and Paul Hartley will both miss the Basel game through suspension.

Feyenoord
Group leaders Feyenoord are not in action this week but coach Ruud Gullit may be grateful after seeing his side lose 2-1 at home against FC Groningen at the weekend. Centre-half Karim Saidi left the field during the first half with a hamstring strain that will be further examined on Monday.