Manchester City hopes to bounce back from a surprise defeat and more rumors of unrest when it returns to Europa League action at Lech Poznan on Thursday.
City is one of seven teams able to advance to the knockout stages irrespective of their group rivals' results but British media reported that several players are unhappy with coach Roberto Mancini.
Mancini denied there were problems after City lost 2-1 at lowly Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend, but the team has yet to produce consistent performances to go with owner Sheikh Mansour's hefty investment.
"As a group of players, we let the club and the fans down at Wolves," midfielder Gareth Barry said. "We are sorry for that but it is only one result and as a team we are now desperate to put that right.
"The best way of doing that is on the pitch with wins, starting on Thursday in the Europa League."
Barry has extra motivation to perform well in the Group A match after the England midfielder was among four players criticized by Mancini for late-night partying on a trip to Scotland.
"It was naive of me," Barry said. "It shouldn't have happened. I have apologized to the manager. We were in the wrong."
Juventus is on a high as it prepares to host Salzburg in the other Group A match, having beaten AC Milan 2-1 at the San Siro on Saturday.
But defender Paolo De Ceglie is out for three months with a knee injury, Jorge Martinez has broken a bone in his foot and is out of action for two months, while goalkeeper Alex Manninger has a back injury.
The injury crisis means coach Luigi Del Neri is likely to ask Italy winger Simone Pepe to continue playing at fullback after he filled in for De Ceglie against Milan.
"In the last few weeks I've been prepared to play in defense," Pepe said. "I improvised."
Salzburg earned its first point in this season's competition in a 1-1 draw against Juventus on Oct. 21, but the Austrian champions must do even better in Turin to retain a slim chance of qualifying for the knockout stages.
Defensive midfielder Mendes da Silva and defender Ibrahim Sekagya are both doubtful with adductor injuries. Goalkeeper Eddie Gustafsson has just resumed training after more than six months out with a broken leg and won't play Thursday.
"Juventus needs a win against us and will play that way," Salzburg coach Huub Stevens said. "They are a class team and we'll have to be at our best to get a result. One point in Turin normally is good, but it won't be good enough for us."
In Group K, Napoli travels to Liverpool having defeated Brescia 1-0 on Sunday to stay level on points with fourth-place Juventus in Serie A.
Ezequiel Lavezzi scored a late winner from a cross by Marek Hamsik and the Argentine hopes to be inspired by playing at Anfield.
"It will be a difficult match, but one you want to play," Lavezzi said. "You really want to play in these matches and it will be great to play at Anfield."
Walter Mazzarri is likely to rotate his squad for the match on Thursday and is expected to bring Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani back into the starting lineup.
"To have a good season you need to use the whole squad," Hamsik said. "Now we will go to Liverpool for another massive match and it will be amazing to play in one of the best stadiums in the world."
Liverpool's second straight win at the weekend lifted it out of the Premier League relegation zone to 13th place, but the five-time European champions are without Joe Cole for the game against Napoli after the England midfielder was ruled out for two weeks because of a hamstring injury.
Cole has acknowledged his failure to produce his top form since joining Liverpool in the offseason, but his absence is still a blow to manager Roy Hodgson - who reached the final last season with Fulham.
"It's a good sign he said that because it takes a certain type of player to be able to face up and be so honest," Hodgson said. "It's better coming from him than it is coming from me.
"He is a quality player. But we haven't seen the best of him. Absolutely not. There is more to come from him and he knows that."
Sporting Lisbon, CSKA Moscow, Zenit St. Petersburg, Stuttgart, Porto and Paris Saint-Germain are the other teams able to advance with a win.
Sporting is at Gent two weeks after beating the Belgian side 5-1, CSKA hosts Palermo, Zenit is at Hajduk Split, Stuttgart is at Getafe, Porto hosts Besiktas and PSG hosts Borussia Dortmund.
