HIGH-FLYING Swedish side IF Elfsborg have been confirmed as Hibs' opponents when they kick-off their season early in the Intertoto Cup this Sunday.
Elfsborg progressed to the second-round tie after beating HB Torshavn of the Faroe Islands 4-1 on aggregate over the weekend. Magnus Haglund's outfit did all the hard work in the first leg, completing a comfortable victory with a 0-0 home draw on Sat
urday.
Hibs firstly play host to Elfsborg at Easter Road this Sunday before the return leg in Boras six days later.
Mixu Paatelainen, whose squad returned to pre-season training last week, expects a tough encounter against a team currently second top of the Swedish top flight. Elfsborg have lost one of their opening 11 league games and sit three points behind unexpected leaders Kalmar FF, with AIK Stockholm and Gothenburg third and fourth.
The 2006 national champions boast an experienced squad, with midfielder Anders Svensson and goalkeeper Johan Wiland back from representing Sweden at Euro 2008.
Paatelainen, meanwhile, has revealed former Gretna midfielder Fabian Yantorno is winning his fitness fight. The 25-year-old Uruguayan was given the use of Hibs' new East Lothian training centre in March after he was released by the now-defunct Gretna.
Yantorno is back running with Paatelainen's squad and will be eased into contact sessions during the coming weeks ahead of the SPL opener against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on 9 August.
Paatelainen said: "Fabian has a great attitude, he's improving immensely and is training very hard. Although he's not able to take part in all the ball work, he is kicking it and running with the group.
"There is a possibility that he could be fit for the first league game but he needs to be patient and so do we.
"We don't have him tied up right now. If he gets fit, he could be in a Hibs jersey."
The full article contains 325 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
