Elliott happy on European stage

irmingham winger Wade Elliott is happy to enjoy a change of scenery as he revels in his first European campaign. The former Bournemouth and Burnley midfielder announced his arrival on the continental stage with his side's winner in the 2-1 Europa League Group H victory at Maribor last month.On Thursday night they face experienced European campaigners Club Brugge in Belgium, where they will be backed by around 5,500 supporters, and Elliott admits such experiences are a pleasant contrast to the npower Championship."I wouldn't say the Championship is a slog, but everybody is enthused by the European campaign and you can sense everybody is excited," he said."It's a great experience to come to these different places."We've relished it so far and hopefully we can take that enthusiasm into the game."We're confident in our ability and we've got a strong squad but they are a strong side with a lot of pedigree."Brugge are unbeaten in the Belgian Jupiler League and shocked last season's finalists Braga in Portugal last month."We're expecting a stern test," said Birmingham boss Chris Hughton. "They had a very, very good victory against Braga, who were perhaps the favourites to win the group after reaching the final last season."That shows the quality they have. They're used to the European stage and domestically they are used to being at the top, winning football matches."This competition is new territory for us. It's a tough task here but one we're looking forward to."The most important thing is the Championship and the number one aim for the club is promotion. But this competition means a lot to us. We're grateful and delighted to be in it. The Championship is the most important thing but this is something we very much welcome."City will be without captain Stephen Carr after he aggravated a recent knee problem against Leicester so versatile midfielder Jonathan Spector is likely to deputise.Hughton has several minor concerns but will wait until the last minute to decide his line-up. Centre-back Curtis Davies (knee) has travelled with the squad but will not be risked while midfielder Jordon Mutch (ankle) is continuing his recovery.Experienced Brugge boss Adrie Koster, meanwhile, will be without captain Carl Hoefkens after the right-back suffered cruciate ligament damage.Koster, whose side have six points from their two Group H games so far, said: "Birmingham are in the second league in England but that doesn't mean they're not a good team."They can play good football and are physically very strong."

Source: Team_Talk