STUTTGART, Germany (AFP) - VfB Stuttgart have their work cut out when they take on defending champions Barcelona in Tuesday night's Champions League clash at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion.

The Spaniards are once again highly-fancied to win Europe's top football competition, while Stuttgart are reeling from a defeat by Bundesliga minnows Hansa Rostock on Saturday.

The defending German champions have had a poor start to the season with five defeats in eight games which has seen them drop down to tenth in the table and are low on confidence against a Barcelona side containing star players.

Barcelona's 'Los Cuatro Fantasticos' of Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry are key figures in the bid to win both the Spanish and Champions League titles this season.

And Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard has included the club's under-fire star Ronaldinho in his 19-man line-up for Tuesday's match.

The Brazilian midfielder has missed Barca's last three matches and has struggled for form this season.

Barcelona's official line is that a calf strain has kept the 27-year-old off the pitch but Spanish media claim the club are tired of the 2005 Footballer of the Year's relatively poor form.

Under Dutch coach Rijkaard, Barcelona are top of La Liga and warmed-up for Tuesday's game with a 4-1 win at Levante on Saturday with Henry scoring a hat-trick.

In contrast, Stuttgart had a worrying preparation as they were humbled 2-1 away at Hansa Rostock and have yet to pick up an away point this season.

Germany's footballer of the year, Mario Gomez, is playing well after injury over the summer, but he will need top-class service from his midfield if the Germans are to worry Barcelona.

After his side opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 defeat against Rangers in Scotland earlier this month, coach Armin Veh was unimpressed with their performance against Rostock.

"It looks as though the team haven't learned much from recent games," he said. "We cannot afford to make the kind of mistakes we did today we face a top-class Barcelona side on Tuesday."

VfB will be without midfielder Antonio da Silva after the Brazilian strained a calf muscle whilst warming up in Rostock.