Partizan short of match practice

FK Partizan's preparations for the UEFA Cup Round of 16 encounter with PFC CSKA Moskva have been severely hampered by the weather in Serbia and Montenegro.

Postponement frustration
The Prva Liga season resumed on 26 February but Partizan's home match with FK Sutjeska was postponed and the same fate befell Saturday's game against FK Borac. The lack of action has seen the side relinquish their league lead to FK Crvena Zvezda but coach Vladimir Vermezovic has admitted the lack of match practice is a more pressing problem.

Ilic suspension
In addition, Partizan will have to face CSKA without captain Saša Ilic following a four-game ban for spitting. Another midfield player, Albert Nadj, is also suspended, although goalkeeper Ivica Kralj and defender Milivoje Cirkovic are both fully fit after knee and shoulder injuries respectively.

'Number of solutions'
"We are not favourites," said Vermezovic. "CSKA have come in from the [UEFA] Champions League, and have strong team with very experienced players. We must be patient, full of self-confidence and try to dominate on the pitch.I will not change our tactics because Ilic and Nadj cannot play; I have a few possible solutions and I will find the best one."

Olic return
CSKA come into the game in higher spirits after easing into the Russian Cup quarter-finals with a 6-2 aggregate victory against local rivals FC Moskva. Despite resting key players in both ties, CSKA won each 3-1 with Sergei Samodin, Daniel Carvalho and Rolan Gusev on target in the first leg, while the second saw the return of Ivica Olic after injury and the Croatian international celebrated with a goal.

Berezoutski doubt
Jurijs Laizans and Carvalho also scored in what was an enjoyable start to the 2005 Russian season for coach Valeri Gazzaev, whose only injury worry is Argentinian midfield player Osmar Ferreyra – who trained on his own on Tuesday – while Deividas Semberas is suspended, although Russia defender Vassili Berezoutski is likely to play despite a fractured nose.

Video analysis
"We have videos of Partizan's UEFA Cup games against [FC] Dnipro [Dnipropetrovsk] and their friendly against Feyenoord in January," said Gazzaev. "Their lineup was almost the same in all those games and I do not think they will change it for our fixture."