Team News: Hulk starts for Zenit St Petersburg

Hulk will begin Zenit St Petersburg's opening Champions League Group C game away at Benfica tonight, despite having struggled with a hip injury in recent weeks.

Viktor Fayzulin is suspended for the visitors, but Axel Witsel has overcome a knock to start in midfield. Witsel is one of three former Benfica players to line up against their old team, alongside Javi Garcia and Ezequiel Garay.

Eduardo Salvio has overcome an injury to start for the hosts as Jorge Jesus has named an unchanged team from the side that beat Vitoria Setubal 5-0 at the weekend.

The only previous meeting between the two sides came in the last 16 of the 2012 competition, when Benfica progressed as 4-3 aggregate winners.

Benfica: Artur; Luisao, Pereira, Eliseu, Jardel; Perez, Gaitain, Salvio, Samaris; Talisca, Lima

Zenit St Petersburg: Lodygin; Smolnikov, Garay, Lombaerts, Criscito; Garica, Witsel; Shatov, Danny, Hulk; Rondon

You can follow live minute-by-minute text commentary of tonight's game from the Estadio da Luz here.