MARSEILLE, France, Feb 18, 2008 (AFP) - In-form French First Division side Marseille will be without influential midfielder Benoit Cheyrou for Thursday's UEFA Cup last 32 second leg match with Spartak Moscow it was revealed on Monday.

Cheyrou - who scored in Marseille's 3-0 first leg win in France over the

Russian side last week - sprained an ankle in Sunday's 2-1 league win over Paris Saint Germain.

Marseille coach Eric Gerets - who since taking over at the helm earlier in the season has guided the 1993 European Cup winners from relegation danger to fourth place in the table - is likely to call on Cameroon international Modeste M'Bami to fill the vacancy.

Gerets, who made his name as Belgium captain in the successful side of the 1980's which reached the 1986 World Cup semi-finals, also hinted that young Burkina Faso midfielder Charles Kabore might get to start after impressing against PSG.

"Charlie was a little overawed in the first-half," admitted Gerets.

"However, he was playing in front of 60,000 people so it is hardly surprising.

"Then after that he pulled himself together. He played like an old hand in the second-half."