Uefa Cup, Round of 16, first leg Venue: Eastlands Date: Thursday, 12 March Kick-off: 1945 GMT
Vincent Kompany is doubtful for the Uefa Cup tie with Aalborg due to a toe injury, which means Man City could be without both first choice centre-backs.
With midfielder Nigel de Jong ineligible, boss Mark Hughes may have to call on Gelson Fernandes and Elano.
But Brazilian star Robinho, who missed last week's league win over Aston Villa with an ankle injury, is set to return.
Craig Bellamy will be out of action for at least another week with the knee injury he picked up at West Ham.
Tottenham v S Donetsk (0-2) Uefa Cup, Round of 32 Second LegVenue: White Hart Lane Date: Thursday, 26 February Kick-off: 2000 GMT
Spurs will rest key players as they look ahead to Sunday's Carling Cup final against Manchester United. Robbie Keane, Vedran Corluka and Roman Pavlyuchenko are cup-tied, while Ledley King, Jonathan Woodgate and Luka Modric are unlikely to be risked. Woodgate suffered a head injury in the win at Hull on Monday, and will miss out as a precaution. Jamie O'Hara is back after a hip problem but keeper Carlo Cudicini has a knee injury and Heurelho Gomes returns. Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp admitted the Uefa Cup was not his top priority ahead of the match - with the Carling Cup final against Manchester United to come just three days afterwards. "I hear criticism after not putting my best team out against Shakhtar but Martin O'Neill has left nine out of his Aston Villa team to go to Moscow," Redknapp said. "He has his priorities right because he wants to finish high in the Premier League. We want to stay in the Premier League so you have to prioritise. "(Blackburn manager) Sam Allardyce picked half a team to face Coventry - people don't understand the job. "Going back to Wembley is a big day for the club. You're playing against the best team in Europe." He added: "Have we got a divine right to have European football? Should we put our best team out and forget about Sunday?" Spurs: Gomes, Jansson, Gunter, Bale, Huddlestone, Chimbonda, Palacios, Bostock, Parrett, O'Hara, Giovani, Campbell, Bent, Obika, Townsend, Mason, Butcher, Smith, Gilberto, Dawson, Zokora.
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'. 606: DEBATE Do you think we can still win and would it be a disaster if we don't? VILLATILLIDIE!91 "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.
Man City v FC Copenhagen (2-2) Uefa Cup, Round of 32 Second LegVenue: Eastlands Date: Thursday, 26 February Kick-off: 1945 GMT
Manchester City midfielder Vincent Kompany has a toe injury and is a doubt for Thursday's Uefa Cup second leg. Manager Mark Hughes is already without fellow midfielder Nigel de Jong, who was not registered for the competition. Winger Shaun Wright Phillips is available, as his suspension is for domestic games only, providing he can overcome an ankle injury. Copenhagen striker Cesar Santin faces a late fitness test after he suffered a groin injury in the first leg. Manchester City boss Hughes said qualifying for the last 16 of the Uefa Cup is a priority for his team. "I think our squad is big enough and strong enough and we want to get the job done," he said. "I would rather start the game strongly and hopefully put the game to bed quite early, then make changes. "That is better than going the other way when you think you can keep people in reserve and hope you don't need them. "Invariably at some point you do need them so I would rather choose this option when it comes to selecting my team." Hughes said his side's good home form should be enough to see them overcome Copenhagen. "It will interesting to see how they approach this game. At some point Copenhagen will have to be positive as they have to win the game," he said. "But we feel it is all about what we are going to do. If we are positive as we always are at Eastlands there is no reason why can't go through." Man City (from): Given, Hart, Schmeichel, Richards, Onuoha, Dunne, Kompany, Bridge, Garrido, Zabaleta, Elano, Caicedo, Ireland, Wright-Phillips, Fernandes, Robinho, Bellamy, Vassell, Weiss, Logan
