Arsenal must make headway in Moscow

Injury-hit Arsenal go into their Champions League match with Lokomotiv Moscow knowing that defeat could deal a fatal blow to their hopes of qualifying from the group stage.

The Gunners slumped to a 3-0 defeat to Inter Milan in their opening match, setting the alarm bells ringing at Highbury.

Although they have four matches to play after the trip to the Russian champions, a group that also includes Dynamo Kiev will be treacherous to navigate if they fail to get full points on Tuesday.

The omens are not good for Arsene Wenger's side - Arsenal are seeking a first win in six European matches - who will be without influential midfileders Patrick Vieira and Freddie Ljungberg.

Midfield powerhouse Vieira sustained a thigh injury in Friday's 3-2 win at home to Newcastle with Ljungberg suffering an ankle injury in the same match.

After a week when his players made all the wrong headlines following the jostling at the end of their grudge match with Manchester United, the Frenchman was just happy to see his side's resilience in Friday's 3-2 victory.

"We found the resources to score every time we were in trouble. At the end we were really down to eight players and we still won it."

Having watched the game against Newcastle, Lokomotiv coach Yury Syomin is more concerned about the threat posed by Thierry Henry, who scored twice in that match.

"Arsenal really impressed me. They are playing top quality attacking style football," said Syomin. "Henry is a true leader of the side. He's the kind of a forward that could be hardly stopped by any defence in the world.

"I still cannot decide how to neutralise him on Tuesday. I think the match with the Gunners will be not easy at all for us."

Lokomotiv have failed to retain their league title, as they trail CSKA Moscow by nine points with a handful of matches to play, but they were convincing 2-0 winners over Vladikavkaz on Thursday.

The form of French champions Lyon is picking up just in time for their visit to Glasgow to face Celtic.

Recent signing Giovane Elber did not score in the 4-0 drubbing of Lens at the weekend, as his fellow Brazilian Juninho Percambucano grabbed a hat-trick.

Lyon have the comfort of full points from their first Group A match against Anderlecht, while Celtic went down to Bayern Munich.

Celtic boss Martin O'Neill is hampered by financial constraints and can only look at recruits like Elber with envy.

"I think we must be the only team in the competition who have not changed personnel for one reason or another," said O'Neill. "I would have liked to have been able to do something, even if it was only to freshen things up."

Inter Milan hope to welcome back striker Christian Vieri from injury as they host Dynamo Kiev at the San Siro, hot on the heels of a bad-tempered goalless draw with Udinese.

In other matches, last year's losing finalists Juventus will expect at least a point from a visit to Olympiakos in Greece in Group D, while Bayern Munich put their leaky defence to the test in Group A at Anderlecht.

Seven goals conceded in the last three matches is worrying Bayern, who gave a Bundesliga debut to Argentine defender Martin Demichelis in the win over Hansa Rostock.