The Turkish club only need a point to ensure their progression to the knockout stages of the competition and face the already eliminated Scottish side on Thursday

Fenerbahce will be without star striker Robin van Persie when they host Celtic, with the Turkish club needing a draw to qualify for the next round of the Europa League.

Vitor Pereira’s men are on the brink of qualification and one point would be enough to seal a place in the knockout stages, while Ronny Deila’s Celtic are already out of the competition after taking just two points from five Group H games.

Only pride is at stake for Celtic after defeat to Ajax sealed their fate in their last Europa League fixture, while Fenerbahce won 2-0 at Molde to keep their hopes alive.

A thigh injury has ruled Van Persie out of the fixture but the Netherlands striker has only scored five times since signing for Fenerbahce in the summer. Denmark defender Simon Kjaer and Portugal winger Nani are also unavailable through suspension.

Fenerbahce were on a run of four successive victories before drawing at Gaziantepspor on Sunday, a result that leaves the side third in the Turkish Super Lig after they missed the chance to go top.

“The Celtic game is one of the most important of the season for us,” said Fenerbahce midfielder Mehmet Topal ahead of the club’s 200th Uefa club competition game.

“There’s a chance we could top the group if we beat them.”

Deila, whose Celtic side have not won any of their last 10 games in the Europa League but are three points clear at the summit of the Scottish Premiership, said: “We are going to use this game to get more European experience.

“With good performances you get more confidence and that is what we hope to get from this match. Hopefully a good result too.

“We will see what we do with the players but we won’t change the whole team. We would never do that. We have a duty to other teams to fight for the points. You learn a lot about European football but also about your own team.

“Everybody understands that we have to make improvements. It’s very clear to me what I need to improve for next season.

“You could say defending but it’s about individual improvements and improving as a team. We have to make the squad stronger and better. That is about developing the players who are here and adding some who can make us even stronger.”

Fenerbahce, semi-finalists in 2013, drew 2-2 at Celtic Park earlier in the competition with the Turkish side fighting back from two goals down to claim a point thanks to a brace from Fernandao and the Turks have not conceded in three Europa League games since their trip to Glasgow.

The Ligue 1 side are yet to qualify for the knockout stages and must defeat Mauricio Pochettino’s men and hope that Anderlecht fail to beat Group J rivals Qarabag

Leonardo Jardim hopes Monaco‘s promising youngsters can lead the way against Tottenham on Thursday and seal their progress to the knockout stages of the Europa League.

The Ligue 1 side face an uphill task to make it through the group stages after their 2-0 home defeat to Anderlecht two weeks ago.

They sit third in Group J with six points from five games heading into Thursday’s encounter and not only need to see off Spurs, but must also hope their Belgian rivals drop points at home to Qarabag.

Jardim refuses to throw in the towel just yet, though, and hopes they can build on their 2-1 win over Bastia on Saturday, suggesting their good form away from home could make the difference.

“The team is progressing. We were aggressive against Bastia at the weekend,” Jardim said at a news conference.

“It was an important victory because we achieved it with a lot of young players, which corresponds to the club’s project of developing youngsters.

“It is great to win matches and that is always our ambition.

“It is difficult to explain why we are better away from home, but the team will continue to develop.”

Jardim will have to make do without a number of first-team regulars, though, with Guido Carrillo (calf), Fabio Coentrao (thigh), Ivan Cavaleiro (back), Joao Moutinho (hip), Thomas Lemar (ankle) and Jeremy Toulalan (thigh) all expected to miss the trip to White Hart Lane.

Tottenham, meanwhile, have already booked their ticket for the last 32, but will be looking to clinch top spot in the group.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men lead the table with 10 points, three clear of second-placed Anderlecht.

Tottenham and Monaco played out a 1-1 draw on matchday two in their first meeting in the competition, but the Premier League side have reasons for optimism thanks to their fine record against French opposition, with just one defeat in seven matches.

Additionally, Tottenham have won both of their European home matches this term and are unbeaten in seven Europa League fixtures at White Hart Lane – winning five of those – since a 3-1 loss to Benfica in March 2014.

Pochettino will be without the likes of Nabil Bentaleb, Nacer Chadli, Ryan Mason and Alex Pritchard on Thursday, with all four being plagued by ankle injuries, while the Tottenham manager could also opt to rest key players such as Harry Kane, Jan Vertonghen and Eric Dier ahead of a busy Christmas period.

The Gunners need goals in Greece as they look to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League for the 16th successive season.

Joel Campbell believes Arsenal face their “most important game of the season so far” against Olympiacos, as the English side travel to Greece looking to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Arsene Wenger’s squad go on the road knowing they have their destiny in their own hands – if they win by any other score than 1-0 or 2-1, they will make the knockout stages of Europe’s premier club competition for a 16th season in a row.

Goals, therefore, are going to be crucial for the visitors, who lost 3-2 at home to Olympiacos in September.

Campbell scored the first for Arsenal in their 3-1 home win over Sunderland in Premier League action on Saturday. However, that was just the second time in their last six outings that they have found the net more than once in a game.

“[The win over Sunderland] was a good result for the team,” Campbell told the club’s official website.

“We got the result and that’s what we wanted. Now we have to prepare mentally and physically for Wednesday’s game because it will be very difficult.

“We already played against Olympiacos at Emirates Stadium. They are a great team, a great rival and especially because they play at home.

“It is the most important game of the season so far. It will be a cup final and we have to win to continue in the Champions League.”

The Costa Rican also knows how tough it will be playing at Olympiacos’ Karaiskakis Stadium, as he spent the 2013-14 season on loan at the Greek team.

“In the Pireo [Karaiskakis Stadium] it is very difficult to get points but it is the last game of the group stage and we will give our best,” Campbell added.

Arsenal’s record away to Olympiacos does not make for pretty reading – they have lost three times against them since 2009, although on each of those occasions they had already qualified.

This time, though, the match will decide who goes through alongside Group F winners Bayern Munich. Whoever misses out on second place will go into the knockout stages of the Europa League instead.

Felipe Pardo was one of Olympiacos’ goalscorers when they won at the Emirates Stadium, but has not played in their last three games due to a calf injury.

Arsenal’s midfield anchors Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla have been ruled out until well into next year, although Aaron Ramsey has made his return to the starting side in recent weeks and scored at the weekend.

Palace’s remarkable march away from relegation trouble in 2013-14 under Tony Pulis included a 3-2 win on Merseyside and they repeated that scoreline with Neil Warnock at the helm five months later.

Dann, a boyhood Liverpool fan, scored in the first of those victories and believes a side sitting in eighth place under current boss Alan Pardew can once again emerge triumphant.

“We’ve got a strong record up there, and over the last couple of years we’ve enjoyed some good victories,” the centre-back told Palace’s official website.

“I think the way we play away from home gives us a chance to make it three away wins in a row, so we’re looking forward to Monday night.”

Palace are a point ahead of 11th-placed Everton and Dann is keen to boost Palace’s chances of securing a top-10 finish.

“I think we can be happy with where we are in the league,” he said.

“The past two seasons we haven’t started so well and have then come strong at the end of the season, so if we can build on what we’ve done already then hopefully we can be pushing teams like Everton come the end.

“Getting in the top 10 is what we want, and it’s what we’re working hard to achieve.”

Everton boss Roberto Martinez has refused to rule out James McCarthy and the midfielder will continue to battle a hip problem over the weekend.

England full-back Leighton Baines, meanwhile, could be set for his first Premier League action of the campaign having returned from a lengthy ankle lay-off as a substitute in the League Cup quarter-final win at Middlesbrough.

“He had a very good introduction on Tuesday night and now we need to see how he is recovering,” Martinez said of Baines. “He’ll need two or three days to get back to normal and then we’ll make a decision on that.

“We need to give him little introductions before he can get full fitness for 90 minutes, but with his experience it’s a lot easier to get to that point very quickly.”

Baines’ fellow defenders Phil Jagielka, Tyias Browning, Tony Hibbert (all knee) and Bryan Oviedo (hamstring) remain on the sidelines along with midfielder Steven Pienaar (hamstring).

Palace could have Dwight Gayle back from a hamstring strain, although fellow forward Bakary Sako will miss out due to a similar complaint.

The Gunners have sustained a number of injury problems in recent weeks and face an in-form Black Cats side, but the former West Ham manager is remaining cautious

Sam Allardyce insists Sunderland will have to be on top of their game to claim an away win over Arsenal despite the injury problems that have ravaged the hosts.

Sunderland have pulled out of the Premier League relegation zone with a run of three wins in five matches, as Allardyce has started to make his mark on his new side.

The Wearsiders have not beaten Arsenal away from home in the league since 1983, but would appear to have a strong chance of ending that drought given the number of players absent from Arsenal’s squad owing to injury.

Arsene Wenger is without Jack Wilshere (ankle), Danny Welbeck (knee) and Alexis Sanchez (hamstring), while Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla (both knee) are also unavailable along with Mikel Arteta (calf).

Tomas Rosicky remains on the sidelines with a knee problem, but Laurent Koscielny (hip) and Theo Walcott (calf) could feature in the squad as Arsenal aim to avoid a fourth straight league game without a win.

But Allardyce said of fourth-placed Arsenal: “I think the strength in depth of Arsenal’s squad is why they’ve always qualified for Europe and finished in the top four.

“It weakens the side slightly, we have a better chance when those players are not playing, but they’ve still got a top-quality squad of international players throughout.

“If we can play our very best game, then those weaknesses may be able to be exploited. Our best form will be needed [even] if people consider Arsenal weaker without those players.

“We’ve got a particularly difficult December, the challenge for us is to maintain our results. The lads will hopefully show that confidence and determination on Saturday.”

Sunderland have injury problems of their own, with Jermain Defoe out because of a hamstring concern, Jack Rodwell unavailable with a similar problem and Sebastian Larsson nursing a knee issue.

Arsenal, despite their dip in form and injury worries, are just two points adrift of league leaders Manchester City and manager Wenger is confident his depleted side are up for the challenge of keeping pace at the top.

He told the club’s official website: “I believe first of all it’s always a disappointment to lose the players at an important moment of the season. But on the other hand, it’s a great challenge to take for the team and a great opportunity to show that we are ready for a fight and we can deal with it.

“We prepared ourselves to go through periods like that, and I’m convinced the players are ready. We have gone through a little bit of a bad spell in recent games, but we are two points off the top

“The great opportunity for us is that, despite that bad spell, we are very close. That’s why it’s important that we keep our confidence high and our determination high, and start winning again.

“We want the crowd to be behind the team and help us to do it.”