Rui Costa eager to make amends

SL Benfica playmaker Rui Costa is hoping to help his side into the UEFA Cup semi-finals and erase the disappointment of dropping out of the UEFA Champions League at the group stage.

Injury concerns
The 35-year-old former AC Milan midfielder is still struggling for fitness after recovering from the injuries that have blighted his season. But having returned to first-team action in recent weeks, Rui Costa wants to play his part in tonight's UEFA Cup quarter-final first leg against RCD Espanyol in Barcelona.

Determined veteran
"I am still not feeling 100 per cent and it's very difficult for players my age to recover from the injuries I have had," the ex-Portuguese international told uefa.com. "It would be stupid to say I can play the whole 90 minutes but I won't shirk my responsibilities. I will do my best to help the team - whether that is from the start or coming off the bench we will have to wait and see."

Making amends
After a glittering career in Italy with ACF Fiorentina and Milan, Rui Costa rejoined his boyhood heroes last summer, aiming to lead the Eagles to domestic and European glory, but his contribution has been curtailed by a persistent thigh problem. He was particularly frustrated to have sat out most of Benfica's UEFA Champions League campaign, in which the Lisbon club finished third behind Manchester United FC and Celtic FC in their group, so is determined to make amends by going as far as possible in the UEFA Cup.

Race against time
"I am recovering as fast as I can but I am still looking to find my rhythm," added Rui Costa. "If we can get through this round and reach the semi-final, I will have more time to recover and find my best form. That will allow me to help the team and hopefully we can go all the way to the final in Glasgow."

Espanyol strengths
Before then Benfica have to tackle Espanyol, and Rui Costa will settle for the slightest advantage they can take into next week's second leg in Portugal. "We know Espanyol are a good team and they have a lot of quality in attack," he said. "Iván de la Peña is their best player in midfield - everything goes through him and we have to be careful when we don't have the ball. We will try to get a positive result in Barcelona, which will hopefully give us a chance to progress to the semi-finals in front of our fans in Lisbon."