McClaren warns of 'cat and mouse' second leg

Steve McClaren knows how difficult Middlesbrough's task will be if they are to progress to a last-16 Uefa Cup meeting with either Roma or Bruges.

Boro resume their Uefa Cup campaign at home to Stuttgart tonight with a 2-1 lead from the first leg, but the Boro manager warned yesterday: "Tomorrow will be one of those European nights that could be frustrating, and I ask everybody to be patient and not to get frustrated - that's how Europe is."

Although Mark Viduka, who is over a virus, Ugo Ehiogu, who has recovered from a hamstring problem, and Massimo Maccarone, who broke his nose in training, are fit again, McClaren will allow his players to take nothing for granted. Defender Emanuel Pogatetz is suspended while midfielder Fabio Rochemback is out for up to 10 weeks with ankle-ligament damage.

"The tempo is not as high and as fast and furious as the Premier League, it's more cat and mouse, and the players, the fans, everybody needs to be patient, not get frustrated and make sure we get the right result," McClaren said.