Litex lay Grasshoppers trap

Injury list
The Swiss side were left to count the cost of injuries to Gerardo Seoane, André Muff and Leandro Fonseca as they were held to a 1-1 home draw by BSC Young Boys on Sunday. That result followed Grasshoppers' 1-0 defeat in Zurich in their Group D opener against England's Middlesbrough FC.

Tough trip
Although Grasshoppers still boast a 15-match unbeaten run at home in the Swiss Super League, they are wary of the trip to Bulgaria, as defender Igors Stepanovs conceded. "It is a very difficult game after a long journey," he said. "We cannot afford to lose again if we want to progress to the next round."

Litex confident
Litex should be in high spirits having won 4-0 at home to PFC Marek Dupnitza on Saturday, to go sixth in their Premier League. However, they were without Bulgarian international Mihail Venkov for that match and he is struggling to shake off a thigh injury.

Defender sidelined
Another defender, Zhivko Zhelev - operating as a stand-in striker - hurt his back against Marek and will be absent from the starting lineup at least on Thursday. As well as his selection, Litex coach Ljupko Petrović is also worried about the strength of the Swiss visitors.

Brazilian class
"The game will be very tough, there is no doubt about that," he said. "Grasshoppers have very dangerous Brazilian strikers in Rogerio and Eduardo. Their compatriot Antonio is a tricky left-sided midfielder while Ricardo Cabanas is also a threat. We must be careful."