Lille in determined mood

Poor form
A 0-0 draw in Switzerland last week means Lille may not be behind in the tie but they also do not have the luxury of an away goal. The Ligue 1 outfit have taken just one victory in their last six matches - a poor run of form for the UEFA Intertoto Cup winners who have largely performed well this season.

Makoun out
Their latest disappointment came at mid-table FC Metz on Sunday, when a 1-1 draw meant they slipped to third in the standings. Coach Claude Puel, who is well aware his side have scored just twice in five matches, welcomes back midfield player Christophe Landrin to his squad after a rib injury but Jean Makoun (knee) is sidelined.

Chalmé positive
Another key absentee will be captain Philippe Brunel who picked up a one-match suspension after his booking in the first leg last week. However, Lille are not prepared to sit back and feel sorry for themselves. "We need to be ready," said midfield player Mathieu Chalmé. "We'll try to push from the kick-off. Then we'll have to deliver the perfect game."

Petric problem
Basel returned to domestic action at the weekend with the resumption of the Swiss Football League after its midwinter break, but it proved a disappointing event for Christian Gross's side as FC St. Gallen inflicted a 3-1 defeat. In addition, Basel's goalscorer, Croatian forward Mladen Petric, was withdrawn with a knee injury that will keep him out for three weeks.

Argentinian trio
Defenders Murat Yakin and Boris Smiljanic have not made the trip to France because of long-term injuries, but Gross is looking to his Argentinian forwards Christian Giménez and César Carignano, supported by Julio Rossi, to get a positive result. "I hope they can use their physical strength," he said, knowing one goal could be enough. "We have to be able to take the initiative."