IT is one of the strongest European sides ever assembled in the history of the Ryder Cup.

They have home advantage in an event that has been keenly anticipated by the Scottish public for the last two years.

The United States will be without at least three of their best players entering the biennial contest. Yet, Paul McGinley has brushed aside suggestions his team will stroll to a comfortable victory at Gleneagles next week.

He is anticipating the battle for the Samuel Ryder Trophy that Europe lifted on an extraordinary final day at Medinah two years ago will go down to the wire.

McGinley's side will certainly, he readily admits, begin the contest on Friday morning as favourites.

After all, they have Rory McIlroy - the undisputed world No.1 and winner of back-to-back Majors this year in The Open and US PGA Championship - in their line-up.

Elsewhere, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose have all performed impressively in recent months and feature in the top six of the world golf rankings.

Martin Kaymer, who stormed to victory in the US Open at Pinehurst back in June, is also a formidable competitor.

The German proved that when - watched closely by his Scottish caddie Craig Connelly - he holed a nerve-shredding five-foot putt for victory last time around.

And there will be a Scot in the team who the huge galleries are sure to get right behind - Stephen Gallacher richly deserves his wild card selection.

But Irishman McGinley has stressed he is not expecting a repeat of the emphatic triumphs which Europe recorded at the Oakland Hills in 2004 or the K Club in 2006.

He knows that with Tom Watson, one of the all-time greats of golf, at the helm the visiting side in Perthshire will be no pushovers.

"We are playing against a very, very strong American team with a very, very strong skipper in Tom Watson," he said. "I, for one, am under no illusions about how difficult the task ahead will be. The players know that as well.

"It is going to be an exciting week, a rollercoaster ride."

Watson believes the astonishing defeat his country suffered at Medinah in 2012 will spur his players on at Gleneagles. Davis Love III's side led by four points going into the final day but suffered one of the worst collapses in sporting history in the singles matches to lose.

"Yes, on paper, the European team looks stronger than the American team," said Watson. "But we have got the motivation of what happened in 2012. I am going to lay that on them. I think that is a great motivator."

Watson named Keegan Bradley, Hunter Mahan and Webb Simpson as his wild cards at the start of this month. The five-time Open champion then had to watch as Billy Horschel, who he had overlooked, won the BMW Championship, the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup.

Jason Dufner, Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods will all be conspicuous by their absence from the plane that will jet out of America for Scotland this weekend.

But Watson has US Masters champion Bubbba Watson as well as Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar and Zach Johnson in his 12-man team.

So he has no concerns about the ability of his charges to cope with the intimidating atmosphere and pressure of the Ryder Cup. And he expects Fowler - who this year became only the third man in history to finish in the top five at all four Majors in one season - to be a key player for him.

Watson said: "Confidence comes from hitting good shot after good shot after good shot. And Rickie is there right now.

"That's the type of player you want on your team. I admire what he's done."

How Europe fare will hinge to a large extent on the performances of Englishmen Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, who have both been selected on their reputations not form.

If the experienced pair bring their A games to the PGA Centenary course, then the likelihood is their side will prevail once again.

But McGinley - who holed the putt that sealed victory for Europe at The Belfry in 2002 - has total faith in the strength of his side.

"I'm a very lucky man to have such a variety of talent," he said. "I had some quality players who had performed really well who did NOT make the team. The European team is definitely as strong as it needs to be to take on the United States."

No matter who comes out on top come next Sunday, Scotland in general and the golf in this country in particular are sure to be huge winners in what is one of the great weeks in sport.