CSKA Moscow v Aston Villa (1-1)
Uefa Cup, round of 32 second LegVenue: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow Date: Thursday, 26 Feb Kick-off: 1700 GMT
Aston Villa have left eight regular first-team players out of the squad to face CSKA Moscow in the Uefa Cup second-leg match in Russia on Thursday.
Gareth Barry, Brad Friedel, Emile Heskey, James Milner, Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Carlos Cuellar and Stiliyan Petrov are all excluded.
"Chasing a top-four spot to get a Champions League place is everything," said Villa manager Martin O'Neill.
Villa were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Villa Park.
And O'Neill's side slipped from third to fourth in the Premier League when they lost 1-0 at home to Chelsea on Saturday.
The manager felt his players were tired after drawing with CSKA Moscow in their round of 32 tie last Wednesday.
"We don't really have the size of squad that Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal can call on. That's not being defeatist - that's just being realistic," he added.
"None of the players mentioned the first leg against CSKA Moscow as an excuse for the Chelsea defeat at the weekend - but I will.
"The irony is we broke our necks to get into Europe.
"We have to try and please Villa fans but I am sure they would think that the Premier League, which can help drive you into the Champions League, is the 'Holy Grail'.
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"It seems strange I know but had we been seventh, eighth or ninth, let's say, in the table, it would have been a different outlook."
O'Neill revealed that he did consider the impact on the Villa fans who have paid to travel to Moscow when making his decision, but he is adamant that despite the absentees his side should not be written off.
"We've about 300 travelling fans who have spent very good money in coming to support us," he said.
"I don't know their view point, but I'd like to find out and I hope we will find out because it's those people I thought about, having spent their money.
"But we have a real fighting chance of doing it, and that would be fantastic for us. That would maybe placate those travelling fans.
"People are talking as if we're already out, but who is to say the players in the side tomorrow won't be able to turn this around?
"We've still players with plenty of Premier League experience.
"We know we're going to have to score a goal, and more than likely we're going to have to win the game but we have a real fighting chance of doing that, and that would be fantastic for us.
Stand-in captain Barry backed his manager's decision not to take key players to the Russian capital.
"If you're looking at the game with Stoke on Sunday as the priority then it might be vital a few players do get a rest," said the midfielder.
"Last Wednesday's game (with CSKA) maybe caught up with us because we had a tough game against Chelsea (Saturday's 1-0 defeat)."
However, winger Milner believes the inexperienced Villa squad still has enough talent to beat their Russian opponents.
"Whatever team we put out, it will be good enough to get a result because we've a squad of quality players, even if it might not be the biggest," he said.
"We know they (CSKA) are a good team, but we've a lot of good players as well, not just the 11 that played against Chelsea."
Villa will have to contest with the plastic surface in the Luzhniki Stadium and O'Neill believes this affords the home side an unfair advantage.
"Those playing on a plastic pitch, pretty obviously in my opinion, have an advantage," he said.
"If they think the pitch is perfect, why was the Champions League final not played on it?
"It might be the best plastic surface in Europe, I don't know. But it is a plastic surface and it's not what we are used to when we play football."
The injured trio of Martin Laursen, Nigel Reo-Coker and Wilfred Bouma are also unavailable while Luke Young, Curtis Davies, Zat Knight and John Carew are among the few experienced players in the squad.
O'Neill has withdrawn Spanish defender Cuellar for fear of aggravating a hamstring injury on the plastic pitch on Moscow, while Heskey only returned to action against Chelsea at the weekend after an Achilles injury while on England duty in Spain.
Youngsters Elliott Parish, Eric Lichaj, Ciaran Clark, Shane Lowry, Barry Bannan and Mark Albrighton have been named in the 19-man squad.
Aston Villa (from): Guzan, Taylor, Parish, Luke Young, Davies, Knight, Shorey, Lichaj, Clark, Lowry, Sidwell, Salifou, Gardner, Osbourne, Bannan, Albrighton, Harewood, Carew, Delfouneso.
