SOCCER NEWS:STEPHEN IRELAND, Manchester City's most impressive player this season, has accused some of his team-mates of "hiding" in their 3-1 defeat at Hamburg. Ireland was dismayed by the way City capitulated once he had scored inside the opening minute and, though he did not mention Robinho by name, the Brazilian will inevitably be implicated after another listless performance.

The only defence for Robinho was that he was far from the only City player to have a negligible impact in a match that may have caused irretrievable damage to the club’s hopes of reaching the Uefa Cup semi-finals.

Mark Hughes could be without 10 key players for the return leg at Eastlands next Thursday and there are concerns that Craig Bellamy (knee) may miss the rest of the season.

“I think we have more quality than them but we have to be a bit braver than we were in this game,” said Ireland. “Some people were hiding and when our backs were against the wall some people were not brave enough to fight.

“We have to look at that and start putting it right. As a unit, we just did not do well enough. We need to get back to basics and get back into shape quickly. Against Hamburg we left too many gaps for them to get through and attack us. We switched off as a team and as a unit.”

Ireland’s away goal means a 2-0 win would still send City into the last four but England’s last representatives in the competition were outclassed at the Nordbank Arena.

Hughes is worryingly likely to be without all three of his holding midfielders for the return leg, with Pablo Zabaleta suspended and Vincent Kompany and Nigel de Jong injured. Shaun Wright-Phillips (ankle) and Wayne Bridge (hamstring) are also in doubt.