Champions League matches in Group E
Team news and probable line-ups for Tuesday's Champions League matches in Group E:
Team news and probable line-ups for Tuesday's Champions League matches in Group E:
RANGERS v PANATHINAIKOS
Rangers' Champions League campaign has been disrupted by injuries and they will be without a number of key men as they look to finish third and ensure a UEFA Cup place. Captain Craig Moore, Ronald de Boer, Mikel Arteta, Christian Nerlinger and Steven Thompson are all out but manager Alex McLeish hopes Georgian striker Shota Arveladze will be fit.
Winger Chris Burke is in contention to start after impressive displays by the 20-year-old in his last two outings against St Johnstone and Dundee United.
Panathinaikos head into the game with their wallets a little lighter after the club fined each player 3,000 euros following Saturday's disappointing 0-0 draw away to Akratitos which left them four points behind Olympiakos in the title race.
Bottom of the group and looking for a win to wrest that UEFA Cup slot from the Scots, they will be without long-term injury victims Emmanuel Olisadebe and Sotiris Kyrgiakos.
Coach Yitzhak Shum has dropped defender Takis Fyssas, who is expected to move to Portugal's Benfica in the January transfer window.
Probable teams:
Rangers: 1-Stefan Klos, 2-Fernando Ricksen, 25-Henning Berg, 15-Zurab Khizanishvili, 18-Michael Ball, 30-Chris Burke, 27-Stephen Hughes, 20-Nuno Capucho, 26-Peter Lovenkrands, 10-Michael Mols, 7-Shota Arveladze.
Panathinaikos: 1-Antonis Nikopolidis, 2-Rene Henriksen, 3-Nassif Morris, 5-Yourkas Seitaridis, 6-Markus Munch, 14-Raimondas Zautoutas, 20-Angelos Basinas, 35-Jan Michaelsen, 27-Pantelis Konstantinidsi, 7-Goran Vlaovic, 19-Michalis Konstantinou.
Referee: Herbert Fandel (Germany).
MANCHESTER UNITED v VfB STUTTGART
Midfielder Paul Scholes could start his first game since October 22 when United try to secure the win they need to finish top of the group. Scholes, whose last start was in United's 1-0 win at Rangers in an earlier group game, made his return as a substitute following an operation to clear up a groin injury in Saturday's 4-0 premier league win over Aston Villa.
The England international could replace Roy Keane, with manager Alex Ferguson also keeping an eye on next Saturday's derby with Manchester City. Goalkeeper Tim Howard is set to be rested, handing over to Roy Carroll, while only striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and defender Wes Brown are out through injury.
VfB Stuttgart coach Felix Magath has everyone fit and available with the exception of Brazilian central defender Macelo Bordon, who is recovering from groin surgery.
The Bundesliga leaders, who beat Manchester United 2-1 in Stuttgart in October and have won their last four group games, extended their unbeaten run in the German league to 15 games with a 0-0 home draw with Hamburg SV on Saturday.
"It is great to be able to play at Old Trafford without necessarily having to win," said keeper Timo Hildebrand.
Probable teams:
Manchester United: 13-Roy Carroll, 2-Gary Neville, 5-Rio Ferdinand, 27-Mikael Silvestre, 22-John O'Shea, 25-Quinton Fortune, 3-Phil Neville, 18-Paul Scholes, 11-Ryan Giggs, 10-Ruud Van Nistelrooy, 21-Diego Forlan.
Stuttgart: 1-Timo Hildebrand, 2-Andreas Hinkel, 6-Fernando Meira, 3-Timo Wenzel, 21-Philipp Lahm, 20-Zvonimir Soldo, 8-Jurica Vranjes, 16-Horst Heldt, 15-Alexander Gleb, 22-Kevin Kuranyi, 19-Imre Szabics.
Referee: Eric Poulat (France).