BLACKBURN Rovers face a journey into the unknown in the Intertoto Cup this weekend.

At the beginning of the summer, I'm sure Mark Hughes was thinking he'd be taking his players to Poland to face Legia Warsaw, a familiar foe from our days in the Champions League.

Instead, he now faces a trip to Lithuania, where FK Vetra lie in wait, after Legia fans caused a riot in the last round, which led to the Poles being kicked out of the tournament by UEFA.

To be perfectly honest, I know very little about Vetra, other than what I've read on a few websites, but looking at their track record, I'd like to think we will comfortably see them off over two legs.

It's a big advantage being drawn away first because if there are any slip-ups in Vilnius, then at least we've got the insurance of a second leg at Ewood Park next weekend.

In many ways, these games are a hiding to nothing; if we win comfortably then everyone will say we should have done anyway, and if we don't then people will start mentioning Trelleborgs all over again.

I think the key to victory is all about attitude. If we match Vetra for work-rate and commitment then our superior quality should come shining through.

I know some people think the Intertoto Cup is a complete waste of time, but I honestly believe it could pay decent dividends for Rovers.

Aside from the obvious attraction of a place in Europe, it also provides the players with a couple of meaningful games before the season starts, which should sharpen them up for August 11.

If there's one thing Rovers haven't done under Mark Hughes yet, it's get off to a flying start in the league.

For whatever reason, we've always been slow out of the traps under Hughes but strong finishers.

This season, let's hope we can be firing from day one.