The New Saints boss Scott Ruscoe relishing facing great Danes

The Danish champions – who are managed by ex-Wolves boss Stale Solbakken – are heading to Park Hall (7pm) for the first leg of the second qualifying round tie.

Oswestry-based Saints are very much the underdogs but have thrived in such situations in the past.

Ruscoe said: “It’s a testament to the players coming through against Feronikeli in Kosovo in the last round.

“This is the carrot for winning that game if you like. It’s a top European side with a top manager that’s taken them to the Champions League group stages in the past.

“We know the size of the task in front of us, but we’re really looking forward to it.

“We have played several good teams over the years, lots of teams that have got to the Champions League group stages, and held our own.

“We played the Danish champions in Midtjylland in the Europa League last year, and now we’ve got the Danish champions in Copenhagen in the Champions League.

“We all know how football works, anything can happen. It’s a David versus Goliath tie and we’ll give it our best shot.”

Hero of the last round Dean Ebbe – who sealed a 1-0 win in Kosovo after the first leg against Feronikeli at Park Hall ended 2-2 – is one of the many players available to Ruscoe. Blaine Hudson will again miss out for the Saints – who have won the Welsh Premier eight years on the trot – with injury.

If they beat Copenhagen over two legs, they will face Red Star Belgrade or HJK Helsinki in the next round of Champions League qualifying. If they lose, Valur Reykjavik or Ludogorets await in Europa League qualifying.

But Ruscoe added: “We didn’t think about Copenhagen until we got the job done in Kosovo, so it’s the same approach.”