18.08. (Thu) 20:45 Hearts - Tottenham Hot.

PROBABLE LINEUPS

HEARTS


Kello
Hamill, Jonsson, Zaliukas, Grainger
Mrowiec
Templeton, Robinson, Driver
Sutton, Stevenson


TOTTENHAM


Gomes
Walker, Dawson, Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto
Lennon, Palacios, Modric, Bale
Pavlyuchenko, Defoe

Hearts defender Eggert Jonsson and winger Arvydas Novikovas are both doubtful with rib and ankle injuries respectively after the pair went off during the Tynecastle side’s 3-0 win over Aberdeen on Saturday.

Paulo Sergio will also have to do without the services of long-term absentees Calum Elliot (knee), Kevin Kyle (hip) and David Obua (hamstring) while Andy Webster and wingers Mehdi Taouil and Suso Santana are approaching full fitness and should be available for the second leg.

Tottenham will arrive in Edinburgh without centre-backs William Gallas (calf) and Ledley King (knee), and also Steven Pienaar, Jermaine Jenas, Tom Huddlestone and Sandro, who are all on the sidelines for Harry Redknapp’s side.

DID YOU KNOW?

Hearts made their way into the Europa League playoff round by defeating Hungarian side Paks SE 4-1 at Tynecastle with Ryan Stevenson scoring twice and Andy Driver and Rudi Skacel getting the other goals after a 1-1 draw in the first leg.

The second leg in Edinburgh was Sergio’s first game in charge of the club after owner Vladimir Romanov dismissed former manager Jim Jefferies after only two games of the Scottish Premier League season.

The Jambos recorded their first league victory of the season on Saturday, beating Aberdeen 3-0, with Novikovas opening the scoring before former Spurs trainee John Sutton scored his first two goals for the club.

Tottenham will play their third Scottish side in European competition, after having been involved in two ‘Battle of Britain’ ties against Rangers in 1962 and Aberdeen in 1973, where the White Hart Lane side came out on top 8-4 and 5-2 on aggregate in each respective fixture.

The Tynecastle fixture will be Spurs' first competitive game of the season, after their game with Everton on Saturday at White Hart Lane was postponed on police advice due to the recent riots in the local area.

Redknapp’s side come into the playoff round first leg after recording five friendly victories in a row over Athletic Bilbao, Brighton and Hove Albion, Leyton Orient, Milton Keynes Dons and Orlando Pirates.

Prediction 

Editor's Prediction 
Hearts 1-3 Tottenham  

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18.08. (Thu) 20:30 Fulham - Dnipro

PROBABLE LINEUPS

FULHAM

Schwarzer
Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, J.A. Riise
Dempsey, Etuhu, Murphy, Duff
Zamora, Johnson

DNIPRO

Lastuvka
Inkoom, Mandzyuk, Cheberyachko, Strinic
Giuliano, Rotan, Konoplyanka, Boateng
Matheus, Kalinic

Fulham boss Martin Jol is expected to name a similar line-up to the one that started in the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa at the weekend. The most likely of the starters to miss out from Saturday is centre-back Philippe Senderos, who has had an injury-hit spell at Craven Cottage and may not be risked ahead of Sunday's clash with Wolves.

Meanwhile, Dnipro, who go into the game off the back of a 3-1 loss to rivals Shakhtar Donetsk, look set to welcome defender Samuel Inkoom back to the starting line-up, while former Blackburn Rovers striker Nikola Kalinic could also start.

DID YOU KNOW?

Fulham have qualified for Europe three times, including this current campaign. Their first appearance was in the now defunct Intertoto Cup, but their most successful attempt in Europe came during the 2009-10 season, when they lost to Atletico Madrid in the final of the Europa League.

The Cottagers have never been beaten on home turf in European competition, winning 15 and drawing four of their matches at Craven Cottage.

Including qualifying games, Martin Jol’s side have lost just five games out of 39 on the continent.

Dnipro’s best season in Europe’s second tier competition came in the 2004-05 campaign when they reached the last 16 of the then Uefa Cup, but the Ukrainian outfit have failed to pass the play-off stages in their last three attempts.

However, they were quarter-finalists on two occasions in the European Cup in 1985 and 1990, losing to Marseille on penalties and Benfica.

Dnipro’s name has changed since the team was initially founded, originally starting out as BRIT, relating to the Petrovsky factory that formed the club. At one point the side was sponsored by one of the most powerful factories in the Soviet Union and funded by the state’s Ministry of Defence, until the Ukraine finally became a separate entity and they became Dnipro.

Prediction 

Editor's Prediction 
Fulham 1-0 Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk  

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