Dons hit for six

The Dons could be without six top stars for Thursday's UEFA Cupshowdown with Bayern Munich.

Barry Nicholson, Zander Diamond, Darren Mackie, Richard Foster,Derek Young and Jamie Smith are all major doubts for the clash withthe Germans.

"It's not looking too good for any of them at the moment," saidDons boss Jimmy Calderwood.

Nicholson could face a lengthy spell on the sidelines because ofa knee injury suffered after a lunge by Celtic's Paul Hartley duringtheir 5-1 SPL thrashing at Pittodrie.

"It looks as if Barry has suffered a bad one," said Calderwood.

"We will know more once he has been looked at today."

Diamond and Foster hobbled off during the game with ankle andhamstring injuries respectively.

Young finished the match but was limping badly because of aseries of knocks. Mackie has a hamstring injury, as has Smith, whohas hoped to be fit for the UEFA Cup tie.

Calderwood said: "It's a bit of a nightmare but there's nothingwe can do about it.

"There will be no room to feel sorry for ourselves against a clubas massive as Bayern.

"We will just patch the team up as best we can, get the best 11on the park and do our best to show them we are no pushovers."

The Celtic thrashing, on the back of a 4-1 mauling by DundeeUnited in the CIS League Cup, has dented confidence in the Donscamp. But Calderwood believes they can bounce back and regain somepride against Bayern.

"That's the first time I've lost nine goals in successive games,as a player or a manager," he said.

"It hurts badly but I will be using that to make me even moredetermined on Thursday and I'm sure it will be the same with theplayers.

"Absolutely no-one will be giving us a chance now on the back ofthose two results and you have to expect that.

"But if you can't get up for a clash with a team like Bayernthere is no point in being in this game.

"The Germans also know we wouldn't be the first to conjure up afavourable result when the odds are stacked high against them.

"This can also be a strange game at times."