Rapid have their cards marked

AFC Rapid Bucuresti will walk a disciplinary tightrope in this week's UEFA Cup quarter-final first legs with ten players one booking short of a suspension.

Rapid list
The Romanian side go into their local derby at home to FC Steaua Bucuresti with Mugurel Buga, Lucian Burdujan, Danut Coman, Nicolae Constantin, Marius Constantin, Emil Dica, Marius Maldarasanu, Daniel Niculae, Ionut Rada and Ciprian Vasilache all seeking to avoid the referee's notebook.

Steaua concerns
Steaua, meanwhile, will be without midfielder Gabriel Bostina, who serves a one-match ban, while forward Andrei Cristea and midfielder Sorin Paraschiv must tread carefully as a caution would rule them out of the return.

Levski situation
Bulgarian challengers PFC Levski Sofia will have midfielder Richard Eromoigbe watching from the stands at home to FC Schalke 04. Six other Levski players will sit out the sequel in Germany if yellow-carded: Stanislav Angelov, Cédric Bardon, Milan Koprivarov, Zhivko Milanov, Georgi Petkov and Igor Tomašić.

Schalke worries
Schalke have defender Rafinha suspended, with four other players one booking away from an enforced absence: Gerald Asamoah, Fabian Ernst, Mladen Krštajić and Christian Poulsen.

Sevilla suspensions
Sevilla FC start their tie against FC Zenit St. Petersburg with defender Daniel completing a one-match ban and striker Jesús Navas beginning a two-match suspension following his red card against LOSC Lille Métropole in the last 16. Adriano Correia and Javi Navarro are the only Sevilla players having to be on their best behaviour.

Arshavin fear
Zenit, for their part, recover defender Martin Škrtel from a one-game ban but six other players are within one caution of a disciplinary lay-off: Aleksandr Anyukov, Erik Hagen, Vladislav Radimov, Velice Sumulikoski, Kamil Čontofalský and Andrei Arshavin.

Best records
Of all the quarter-finalists, FC Basel 1893 and Middlesbrough FC have least to fear on Thursday. Reto Zanni is the sole Basel player treading a fine line with officialdom, while Middlesbrough need only worry about Emanuel Pogatetz, although they begin with George Boateng and Lee Cattermole serving one-leg suspensions.