Fiorentina have suffered a blow ahead of their Europa League quarter-final return leg against Dynamo Kiev in Florence tonight with Khouma Babacar ruled out for the remainder of the season.

The Senegal striker suffered a serious knee injury in Monday’s 1-0 home defeat to Verona.

Babacar, whose stoppage-time equaliser handed Fiorentina a vital away goal in last week’s 1-1 draw in Kiev, will be out of action for six weeks.

“Misfortune seems to accompany us,” Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella said to the Italian press when asked about Babacar’s injury yesterday.

“It seems as if destiny is mocking us at the moment.”

Fiorentina are in the midst of a four-match winless run.

Monday’s loss was their third in the last four games and dropped them to sixth in the Serie A standings, nine points adrift of Roma, who hold the last Champions League qualifying spot.

Fiorentina have never lost a quarter-final in the Europa League, but they have won just one of their last four European home games.

“We have a slight advantage but we cannot think that will be enough because whenever we have made calculations in the past, it has proved costly,” Fiorentina captain Manuel Pasqual said.

“We need to move on quickly from our defeat against Verona and go into this game against Dynamo determined to win and reach the next round.”

The Ukrainian giants have failed to beat Fiorentina in their previous meetings and have lost three of their four European away games.

Dynamo are five points clear of Shakhtar Donetsk at the top of the Ukrainian Premier League after Sunday’s 3-1 win at Volyn.

Serhiy Rebrov’s side will be without defender Aleksandar Dragovic, who must serve a one-match ban.

Fiorentina will have to keep a close eye on Ukrainian forward Andriy Yarmolenko, who has scored four goals and set up six more in this competition.

Yarmolenko is set to partner Jeremain Lens in attack.

The hosts welcome back defender Jose Basanta from suspension.

Elsewhere, Napoli coach Rafa Benitez yesterday quashed speculation that he is to return to the Premier League to coach Manchester City.

The former Liverpool and Chelsea manager has yet to sign a contract extension with Napoli, with his current deal ending this summer. It has been rumoured Benitez could replace Manuel Pellegrini at the helm of City at the end of the campaign.

However, Benitez said to the Italian press: “I have not had contacts with City, unlike what I’ve read in England.

“I have spoken to the (Napoli) president via messages but we have not been able to meet due to our busy playing schedule in order to evaluate the business plan.

“Now our focus is on matters on the pitch.”

Benitez joined Napoli in the summer of 2013 and led the Naples outfit to the Coppa Italia title and third place in Serie A in his first season in charge.

Napoli are fourth in the league this term and are firmly on course to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League.

The Italians host Bundesliga side Wolfsburg in today’s quarter-final return leg at the San Paolo stadium holding a 4-1 advantage from last week’s opening leg in Germany.

“We can fight until the end for all of our aims,” Benitez said.

“We can still qualify for the Champions league, whether it is by winning the Europa League or by finishing in the top three of Serie A.

“We all know how crucial qualification for the Champions League would be in terms of future investments.”

The quarter-finals – second legs

Semi-finals draw: Tomorrow in Nyon.