With Barcelona and Lyon also Group E rivals, Meira claims Stuttgart will need to get the better of Rangers to stand any chance of reaching the last 16.

"We must win in Glasgow to go any further," said the 29-year-old Portuguese defender. "Lyon and Barcelona are the favourites."

Meira's view was not shared by head coach Armin Veh, however.

"A victory would be the ideal result," Veh said. "But I could live with a draw."

Stuttgart midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger has been ruled out of tonight's clash.

The injury to his right foot has been specified as inflammation of a toe which has left the former Aston Villa player in pain.

The 25-year-old Germany star had hoped to play in the opening Group E game at Ibrox, but now faces a battle to be fit for the weekend match against Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga.

Veh's side are renowned for playing attacking football and he will adopt a front-foot approach in Glasgow.

After seeing Cacau, Ewerthon and Mario Gomez all find the back of the net in a 3-0 win against Energie Cottbus on Saturday, he said: "The important thing is that all my strikers have scored, and that gives us confidence for the Champions League."

Rangers manager Walter Smith faces an anxious wait to discover whether captain Barry Ferguson will be fit.

The midfielder aggravated a knee ligament injury, which he had been carrying for several weeks, in training and now faces a late fitness test.

"Barry will get treatment today and there will have to be a fitness test before we know if he will be fit or not," said Smith.

"Obviously we hope he is. He has been playing for the last three weeks or so with this injury and it's just when he gets a little knock on it, as he did in training yesterday, that it becomes rather painful.

"We are hopeful it will settle down and he will be fit and will be able to play."

Smith assured concerned fans that 29-year-old Ferguson's problem is not serious, adding: "It's just a small ligament injury. If it was a major injury, he wouldn't have been able to play with it.

"It will clear up the longer he goes without getting a knock on it."

Smith laughed off suggestions that Stuttgart had made a poor start to their domestic campaign.

He said: "If you look at the championship, they are only four points from the top of the league at the moment. If that's a bad start for them, well, that's fine if that's everybody else's assessment.

"For me, it's natural. They had a season last season when they were playing at their maximum to win the championship and, at the start of the new season, it may take them a little time to get up and running.

"I'm sure with the quality Stuttgart have in their team, they will make up the points they've lost."