Malta have lined up a friendly match against Bulgaria on November 18, sources have told The Times.
The game, to be played at the Hibs Ground, will be Malta's first since the national team ended a hugely disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign with a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Portugal in Guimaraes earlier this month.
Bulgaria are also coming from a dismal performance in Group Eight. They have failed to book a place in next year's World Cup finals after finishing third in their group, 14 points behind winners and reigning world champions Italy and four adrift of Ireland who will face France in a two-leg play-off next month.
In their final qualifier, Bulgaria cruised to a 6-2 win over Georgia who, back in August, slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Malta in a friendly match that marked John Buttigieg's debut as national coach.
Given that Malta, who failed to score a goal in their World Cup Group One qualifiers, have no competitive matches for the next nine months, Buttigieg is expected to use the friendlies to blood new players into the squad in preparation for the Euro 2012 qualifying trek starting next year.
Daniel Bogdanovic has been overlooked by Buttigieg so far but the forward has made a strong case for inclusion in the Malta squad for next month's friendly with a vibrant performance in Barnsley's 2-0 defeat to Manchester United in a League Cup match on Tuesday.
Mifsud interest
Meanwhile, The Times has information that Valletta FC are set to revive their efforts to sign Michael Mifsud. The Malta striker is still without a club after his contract with Coventry City expired at the end of last season.
Valletta have been on Mifsud's trail for several months but the latter initially rejected their overtures as he was weighing up offers from a host of overseas clubs.
Mifsud, 28, was expected to join a new club in the August/September period but this failed to materialise. The status quo is believed to have encouraged City president Victor Sciriha to make another approach for Mifsud who can sign outside the transfer window as he is a free agent. Mifsud could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The Citizens have also been linked with a bid for their former Nigerian starlet Frank Temile, now with Dynamo Kiev, amid reports that Dutch forward Geert den Ouden is on his way out.