Coleman eyeing Haka return

Fulham FC's Chris Coleman could be presented with an opportunity to resurrect a career which looked to have drawn to a shattering halt when Fulham FC get their UEFA Intertoto Cup campaign under way against FC Haka tomorrow.

Horrific injuries
The Welsh international suffered horrific injuries in a car accident which ruled him out of the London club's return to English football's top division last season, but Coleman is in line to return against the Finnish side in their second round first-leg meeting after months of painstaking rehabilitation.

Massive boost
The inclusion of Coleman, 32, would provide Jean Tigana's side with a massive boost as they go in search of a place in round three and ultimately the UEFA Cup as one of three Intertoto Cup winners. Haka, who secured a meeting with Fulham by seeing off FK Obilic of Yugoslavia in the first round, will be without 32-year-old Russian striker Valeri Popovitch because of his fear of flying for the Craven Cottage encounter.

Appeal failure
Fulham will hope to join FA Premiership rivals Aston Villa FC in the next round, with the 1982 European champions awaiting the winners of the FC Zürich-FC Levadia Maardu tie. The Estonian side earned their place in the second round with a 4-2 aggregate defeat of UD Leiria from Portugal, who this week saw an appeal against UEFA's decision to award Maardu a 3-0 forfeit victory in their first-leg match rejected after they fielded an ineligible player.

French challenge
Le Championnat will be respresented by FC Sochaux-Montbéliard and ES Troyes Aube Champagne, one of three Intertoto Cup winners last season, in the second round with another, Lille OSC, the opponents in round three of either CF Gloria Bistrita 1922 or KS Teuta. Sochaux entertain Lithuanian side FK Zalgiris Vilnius, who saw off Hungarian giants Kispest Honvéd FC last weekend, while Troyes travel to Northern Ireland to face Coleraine FC.

Torino in action
Serie A side Torino Calcio welcome Austrian challengers Schwarz-Weiss Bregenz to Italy on Sunday, the same day as TSV 1860 München host a FC BATE Borisov side likely to be in confident mood after defeating Akademisk Boldklub of Denmark over two legs.

New Synot coach
Spanish Primera División side Villareal CF are at home on Saturday against FH Hafnarfjördur of Iceland, while new 1. FC Synot coach Milan Boksa will assess his charges in competitive action for the first time the following day when they play Helsingborgs IF of Sweden. The second legs will be played next weekend with the 16 aggregate winners joining eight other clubs in the third round.