Werder Bremen striker Aaron Hunt has fired a verbal volley at team-mate Diego ahead of Thursday's crunch UEFA Cup clash with Rangers.

Hunt slated the Brazilian for his role in the dressing-room bust-up between the pair which followed Bremen's 2-0 defeat at Ibrox last Thursday.

They clashed just moments after leaving the pitch, and while coach Thomas Schaaf insisted the incident was not for discussion on Wednesday, Hunt freely spoke his mind after training.

He said: "Diego and I had an argument on the pitch because I was disappointed about the game.

"We should not have lost. But I thought it was done.

"In the locker room he then attacked me from behind and punched me in the back.

"I want to make clear that I did not punch him.

"Most of the team was in the locker room and saw what happened. They know how it was and that's what counts.

"It says something about a person if he attacks you from behind."

Hunt also voiced his disappointment about being handed the same fine as Diego, because in his eyes the Brazilian was the aggressor.

He said: "It is not just, if someone punches and the other one does not, that they both get the same fine.

"I don't think that is fair. It was the decision of the coach (Schaaf) and the sports director (Klaus Allofs) and if they think that is right, so be it."

Despite making his feelings about the incident clear, the striker admitted he has accepted Diego's apology.

Hunt said: "We sat down with the coach and the sports director after the match in Stuttgart and he [Diego] apologised. Of course I accepted and that is that."

Diego took a different view of the incident.

"There were no punches thrown," he told reporters. "It was just a verbal argument and that is normal in football."

The first-leg defeat leaves Werder with a mountain to climb in Thursday's showdown, as Rangers begin as favourites to reach the quarter-finals.

Nevertheless, Schaaf still fancies his club's chances.

"There is nothing required which we can't do - we don't need a miracle," Schaaf said.

"We have to focus on ourselves and put on a good performance. We are very well capable of scoring goals and getting a good result.

"Rangers have a very strong team but it is possible to score goals against them."

Frank Baumann (flu), Petri Pasanen (rip) and Ivan Klasnic (thigh) have all been ruled out of the clash, while Schaaf reaffirmed his confidence in Tim Wiese.

The goalkeeper committed two costly blunders in the first leg before Stuttgart torched him for six goals in Saturday's 6-3 victory.

"I have not doubted him one single second," Schaaf said.