EB/Streymur await City delegation

EB/Streymur chairman Rólant Højsted is hoping Thursday will "see a surprise" as Manchester City FC start their UEFA Cup campaign in the Faroe Islands.

'Fairly even'
The Premier League club are making a journey into the unknown after qualifying for the UEFA Cup first qualifying round through the UEFA Fair Play system, and new manager Mark Hughes will be eager not to play Goliath to EB/Streymur's David as the tie kicks off in Torshavn. "I don't expect a hammering – not at all," smiled EB/Streymur chairman Højsted. "I expect a fairly even match – a bit tactical I suppose. I don't expect a thrashing. You might see a surprise."

Missing men
They may be minnows compared to City, who recently signed PFC CSKA Moskva forward Jô for an alleged €22.7m, but EB/Streymur are big shots in the Faroes, and sit five points clear at the top of the Formuladeildin after 15 games despite losing their last three league matches. However, they will be two men down for the City game. Forward-cum-defender Sorin Anghel, an EB/Streymur player since 2001, is back in his native Romania getting married, while Faroese international midfielder – and local policeman – Mikkjal Thomassen will be unavailable through injury, as he has been for much of the season.

Danish experience
Yet the club have plenty of other willing players, not least two new signings from Denmark. Attacking midfielder Peter Foldgast scored ten goals when Brøndby IF finished as Danish runners-up in 2003 while the defensive-minded Anders Post Rasmussen played for the national team at youth level and represented Vejle BK in the Danish top flight before moving on to fourth division Holstebro BK this year after a shoulder injury.

'A fine player'
The man to watch for City, however, may be 22-year-old striker Arnbjørn Hansen. Rated as one of the best Faroese goalscorers for generations, he has scored eleven league goals already this term. And while he has not found the target in his last three outings, EB/Streymur hope he is saving his best for Thursday. Hansen went to Danish side Odense BK for a trial in May and returned with his reputation enhanced. OB coach Lars Olsen said: "He is a fine player. Now we'll think it through. We were never going to sign a contract with him immediately."

Business as usual
The occasion is undoubtedly a huge one for EB/Streymur, but with day jobs still the priority for most of his players, coach Sigfrídur Clementsen insisted it would be a match like (almost) any other. "We still only have amateur players, which means they'll be at work all week," he said. "We're going to try to get them a day off on Wednesday, so that we can have a training session early in the afternoon."

'Banana skin'
New City manager Mark Hughes will ensure his side is fully prepared for the task ahead. Last season as manager of Blackburn Rovers FC, his team lost a first-round UEFA Cup tie against Greece's Larissa FC and he is determined to ensure he does not experience another upset. "You never know what's going to happen and I suppose it's our banana skin because they've got nothing to lose," he said. "We'll approach it in a professional manner. It's part of our pre-season but it has consequences for the rest of the season as well. We're here with a strong team and the right attitude."