Soler ready for Hajduk

Miquel Soler has made a rapid recovery from a muscular strain and looks set to start in Real Mallorca's crucial Champions League third round, second-leg clash with Croatian champions Hajduk Split on Tuesday. The veteran defender was sorely missed last week when Hajduk took a 1-0 first-leg advantage thanks to a swerving Mario Bilic free-kick. Standing in for Soler for that match was new Turkish signing Fatih Akyel, a predominantly right-sided player. Akyel, who featured in Turkey's 1-1 draw with Norway on Wednesday night, was left exposed against Hajduk on more than one occasion and failed to match Soler's experience on the left. But Soler now looks ready to return to the starting line-up after having featured in only one of Mallorca's pre-season friendly matches with the 36 year-old stating his desire to play in Tuesday's clash. “I really want to be ready for not only Tuesday's match, but for the whole season. “The worst thing in football is the injuries, you know when you are injured but not when you'll return to your proper fitness level again. “I want to feel fully fit again and then help the team to make the Champions League,” said the former Barcelona player. Soler's fellow defender Fernando Niño warned his team mates yesterday to concentrate on football in Tuesday's game and not on gaining revenge for a post-match punch-up in Croatia. Niño said: “The best response will be to beat them by a big score, but we must focus on football and not what goes on off the pitch.” Mallorca were last night due to find out the results of an UEFA inquiry into last Wednesday's fracas which left Mallorca assistant coach Damian Amer on the ground and Javier Olaizola and Carlos Dominguez injured. Hajduk's Igor Stimac was widely blamed for the fight, but at time of print nothing had been announced by UEFA. Tickets for Tuesday's 21.30 match go on sale tomorrow at Son Moix. Prices range from 3'000 to 6'000 pesetas.