Leeds aim to salvage season in Uefa Cup

Far from serving as a simple distraction from the Premiership, the Uefa Cup has taken on a greater meaning for Leeds United and their beleaguered manager, Terry Venables. Defeat, or even a score draw, against Malaga at Elland Road tonight would extinguish the one light that has shone so far in a season that has seen them win one of the past 11 Premiership matches, sending them on a freefall to 16th place.

Since their battling goalless draw on the Costa del Sol a fortnight ago, Leeds have gone from bad to perverse. Three days after that third-round, first-leg tie they lost at home to Charlton Athletic, while on Saturday they succumbed tamely away to Fulham. But during all this mayhem at least they still managed to find time for a few bouts of infighting. Olivier Dacourt, the midfielder, was most vocal of the malcontents, labelling the club "a disgrace" and calling Venables "distant" in a French newspaper.

After declaring that he would personally drive the Frenchman to whichever Italian club came in for him during January's transfer window, Venables took more immediate action yesterday when he fined the 28-year-old an undisclosed amount of his wages. "Olivier says the England press took it all out of context," Venables said. "But if that's the case, he should be thinking about suing them."

Dacourt will play no part tonight because of a hip injury, but Lee Bowyer will return to the midfield to face Malaga, who are undergoing something of a dip in form themselves, but still occupy ninth place in La Liga, one above Barcelona. Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell are both out, making it even more vital that Alan Smith has recovered from the illness that forced him off at half-time against Fulham. Lucas Radebe and Danny Mills will return to the defence, while the long-term injury victim Seth Johnson will join Robbie Fowler on the bench, should Venables decide not to risk the striker.

Gérard Houllier, the Liverpool manager, would sympathise with Venables' predicament, especially in light of Liverpool's recent bad run in the Premiership that has yielded a solitary point in five games and demoted them from top spot to fourth. The slide began with the exit at the hands of Basle from the Champions' League and, armed with a 1-0 lead from the first leg, anything other than a comfortable passage through to the Uefa Cup fourth round against Vitesse Arnhem at Anfield tonight would not be met kindly.

Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Charlton brought a chorus of criticism for Houllier's style of play, particularly Liverpool's lack of width, but the Frenchman is not for budging. "Am I going to change the system of play? No," Houllier said. "I am not going to play a 3-5-2 because this is not my philosophy. Manchester United had a difficult period about a month and a half ago, now it is our turn."

Despite Emile Heskey's absence with an ankle injury, Liverpool should have few problems against a side who have lost three of their last four league games and lie 12th in the Dutch league. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Fulham, who must try to overturn a 2-1 deficit at Loftus Road against Hertha Berlin.

Martin O'Neill, the Celtic manager, has no major injury worries for his side's third-round second-leg tie against Celta Vigo in Spain, with Celtic 1-0 up from the first leg. Celta's first-choice strikers, Alexander Mostovoi and Catanha, will be missing with an Achilles injury and through suspension respectively, so Edu continues in the role of makeshift frontman. Celta will also be without the central defender Sergio Fernandez (torn muscle) and the full-back Juan Velasco (back), but the winger Gustavo Lopez and the midfielder Peter Luccin have shaken off minor injuries. "We will need to be on our mettle because they are third in La Liga – which is considered the best in the world," O'Neill said.