InterToto just SPL warm-up, says Hibs boss

MIXU PAATELAINEN today looked ahead to Hibs' InterToto clash with Elfsborg – but admitted that ensuring his players are fully fit for the SPL kick-off remains his priority.

The Easter Road outfit take on Elfsborg in the Capital on Sunday afternoon before travelling to Sweden for the away leg a week on Saturday.

The InterToto format was changed in recent years to allow successful clubs to qualify for the UEFA Cup but, while Paatelainen would love to see his side progress in Europe, he insisted that the league is his main focus: "It's a big match for us this weekend, but the InterToto is also part of our pre-season. Of course, we will be taking the match very seriously but it is also part of our preparation for the new SPL season, that's the main thing. The league is the bread and butter for us and it is important that we do well in that competition first and foremost this season.

"If we are successful over a couple of games in the InterToto then it would be great because it would mean entry to the UEFA Cup qualifiers. But at the end of the day, everything is geared up for the start of the new campaign on August 9."

And, with just a couple of weeks of training under their belts, Paatelainen urged supporters to show some patience with his side this weekend.

He believes it will take at least a couple of competitive matches before his side's levels of fitness and sharpness return to their peak, and he added: "When the game kicks off on Sunday we will still be very early in our preparation and we will not be at a stage where we are ready to play our best football. We will give it our best shot, but we need to realise that we still have some way to go in terms of sharpness, fitness and passing.

"You always find at this stage of pre-season that you are very rusty and that things are maybe just not coming off for you.

"The supporters will maybe have to be a bit patient with us and their backing will be very important to us, we need their support. We will really need a couple of matches under our belts before we are anywhere near to playing our best football.

"We have a great set of fans and I am sure that they will turn out in their numbers for the game and get right behind us."

And, while he will continue to work behind the scenes on the possibility of bringing some new faces to the club in time for Sunday's match, he admitted that making signings in time for the start of the SPL campaign is the priority. "Obviously there are players that I would like to bring to the club and it would be great if we were successful on that front before the weekend, but everything is taking time and the SPL kick off at the beginning of August is our target for that as well.

"Not too much has happened over the last week or two, but clubs are now getting back to business so we are hoping that we will be able to get things moving over the next few days."