Marseille await unhappy Heerenveen

Top of the table
The French club are top of the table despite having played only one game so far - winning 2-1 at PFC CSKA Moskva - and with a fully-fit side, coach Jean Fernandez believes that their injury-ravaged Dutch opponents will find them hard to handle on home soil after watching their 2-1 Eredivisie win against Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday.

'A pacy team'
"They are a pacy team but they lack power," said Fernandez, whose side won 2-1 at home against FC Nantes Atlantique on Saturday. "We'll have to play faster than them to unsettle them. If we don't, we will run into some problems. They're not a great team but they're well organised and steady."

Goalless draws
With goalless draws in both of their opening UEFA Cup group stage games, at FC Dinamo Bucuresti and at home against CSKA, a win looks like a must for Heerenveen. However, with a side decimated by injuries, that may be a tall order Gertjan Verbeek's side.

Injury glut
Midfielders Abdelkarim Kissi (ankle) and Paul Bosvelt (hamstring) both picked up injuries in the win against Sparta and are rated doubtful, along with goalkeeper Boy Waterman who left the field after just 18 minutes after twisting his right knee. "I have examined the knee, and although it is pretty stable, I don't think Boy will make it to Thursday's match," said Heerenveen physiotherapist Erik ten Voorde.

Miserable record
The statistics hold little comfort for Heerenveen either. They have lost all four of their meetings with French opponents in European competition, against FC Girondins de Bordeaux and Nantes in the 1995 and 1996 UEFA Intertoto Cups and twice against Olympique Lyonnais in the 2000/01 UEFA Champions League.