ROB Jones is hoping Hibernian learn from past experience when they take part in the Intertoto Cup this summer.
The Edinburgh club crashed out of the tournament two years ago after losing on away goals to OB Odense. This time around they are likely to face Swedish outfit Elfsborg, who lead Torshavn 4-1 after the opening leg of their first round tie.
Hibs w
ill be expected to come out on top when the second round gets under way at Easter Road on 6 July but Jones is taking nothing for granted.
"It is certainly a challenge that everyone is looking forward to," said the skipper. "But we know as well it will be very difficult as we learned two years ago when we lost out to Odense."
Hibs lost out on a Uefa Cup spot to Motherwell, after the Fir Park club secured third place in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League last season.
"The fact the Intertoto Cup can give qualification into the Uefa Cup is a massive incentive," Jones told www.hibs.co.uk. "But we know there is a lot of work ahead of us before we can think of that."
Hibs manager Mixu Paatelainen revealed yesterday that he expects playmaker Merouane Zemmama to be ready for the new SPL season, even though the midfielder won't be back at Easter Road for another ten days.
Zemmama broke his foot in a freak training ground accident which ended his season and ruled him out of Hibs' final four games as Paatelainen's side saw their Uefa Cup dream slip away.
The injury also wrecked Zemmama's hopes of being part of the Moroccan squad for their opening World Cup qualifying matches, which have taken place over the past month.
Zemmama is currently back in North Africa but is following a rehabilitation programme devised by Hibs physio Colin McLelland and
could take to the field when Hibs face Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on 9 August.
Paatelainen said: "If there are no hiccups he should be fit for then. But the sort of injury he suffered you never really know. We won't rush him
."
Zemmama's countryman Abdessalam Benjelloun will also be a late starter for pre-season training, the striker having featured in all four of Morocco's World Cup qualifying matches so far.
The full article contains 388 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
