Monaco lack key players for clash

MONACO, OCT 20: Monaco's key players Fabien Barthez, Marcelo Gallardo and Marco Simone are out of the UEFA Cup clash at Polish side Widze...

MONACO, OCT 20: Monaco8217;s key players Fabien Barthez, Marcelo Gallardo and Marco Simone are out of the UEFA Cup clash at Polish side Widzew Lodz on Thursday. Coach of the principality side Claude Puel named a 17-strong squad without keeper Barthez, recovering from a leg operation, Argentina8217;s midfielder Gallardo, who has a groin problem, and Italian striker and right-shoulder victim Simone.

Tony Sylva, just 24 years old, is expected to take over from Barthez, who got adead leg during Monaco8217;s last league game and had an operation to remove a bruise.

English Premiership club West Ham have had the all-clear to play at Steaua Bucharest after an appeal against their participation was rejected. Croatian side NK Osijek, beaten 6-1 on aggregate by West Ham in the first round of the UEFA Cup, lodged an objection after the team fielded defender Igor Stimac. Stimac however must sit out both legs of the Bucharest tie.

Stimac, a Croatian, was hit with a two-match ban while playing for Croatian side Hajduk Split in aEuropean competition in 1995, but the ban had mistakenly been forgotten.

UEFA have now cleared West Ham and its Board of Appeal turned down NK Osijek8217;s appeal against that initial ruling. UEFA concluded that an administrative error on their part had led to West Ham fielding Stimac in good faith. Celtic8217;s Israeli international Eyal Berkovic will miss Thursday8217;s match at French club Lyon after getting injured in their 7-0 thrashing of Aberdeen in Saturday8217;s Scottish Premier League clash.

2ND ROUND, 1ST LEG MATCHES ON THURSDAY: Atletico Madrid Spa v Amica Wronki Pol; PAOK Salonika Gre vs Benfica Por; Parma Ita vs Helsingborg Swe; Steaua Bucharest Rom vs West Ham Eng; Hapoel Haifa Isr vs Ajax Amsterdam Ned; Lyon Fra vs Celtic Sco; Roda JC Ned vs VfL Wolfsburg Ger; Graz AK Aut vs Panathinaikos Gre; FC Zurich Swi vs Newcastle Eng; Leeds Eng vs Lokomotiv Moscow Rus; MTK Hungaria Hun vs AEK Athens Gre; Anderlecht Bel vs Bologna Ita; Teplice Cze vs RealMallorca Spa; IFK Gothenburg Swe vs AS Roma Ita; Levski Sofia Bul vs Juventus Ita; Werder Bremen Ger vs Viking FK Nor; Inter Bratislava Svk vs Nantes Fra; Widzew Lodz Pol vs Monaco Fra; Slavia Prague Cze vs Grasshopper-Zurich Swi.

RESULTS

At Udinese, Italy: Udinese Ita 1 Sosa 28 Legia Warsaw pOL 0

At Salonika, Greece: Aris Salonika Gre 2 Andreoli 44, Kyzeridis 68 Celta Vigo Spa 2 Karpin 41, 42

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At La Coruna, Spain: Deportivo La Coruna Spa 3 Pauleta 17, Djalminha 50-pen, Maakay 53 Montpellier Fra 1 Delaye 6