MARK Hughes has set his stall out for a top six push by declaring: "We belong in Europe."

The Blackburn boss is convinced that the set-up at the club is good enough to make European football a regular fixture at Ewood Park.

And Rovers have the ideal opportunity to prove their UEFA Cup - or even Champions League - credentials when they host Arsenal at Ewood Park on Saturday.

Hughes's men are now just one point behind the Gunners and will leapfrog them with a win, which could take them as high as fifth in the Premiership.

"European football is something that we should aspire to," said Hughes.

"We've got a club and facilities at our disposal that lends itself to fighting on all fronts now.

"We've got ourselves into a position where we can hopefully get a European place as of right.

"But if we do miss out we possibly have the option of the Intertoto Cup."

Hughes, however, admits that European qualification is something he'd rather do automatically than going down the exhaustive Intertoto route.

But his main incentive for putting his team forward for this tournament is because the manager feels it will enhance his team's pre-season preparations.

Hughes said: "They have changed the format somewhat for next year as there's a longer than normal break with the World Cup.

"The season finishes, from our point of view, on May 6 so for the beginning of the season you are looking at possibly 10 weeks and that's too long.

"So the actual dates of the Intertoto fit quite nicely with the close season and I think that's the only reason we are really contemplating entering.

"We can build it into our pre-season build-up, we can use the games as pre-season games and preparation games and who knows how far we will be able to go in it."