The centre-back, a great success with the Londoners since his free transfer from Sunderland in summer 1999, is 35 in November and out of contract next summer.

And Melville has Alain Goma, Zat Knight, Abdeslam Ouaddou and Martin Djetou - signed on a 12-month loan from Parma last week - to compete with for the two centre-half berths.

So Tigana’s addiction to shuffling his squad means Melville’s opportunities could be limited this season.

The defender warmed the bench for the whole 90 minutes of the first leg success against mid-table Hellenic National League scrappers Aigaleo, with Collins assuming captain’s duties.

And the 34-year-old Scot today assured Tigana he was prepared to wear the armband whenever required.

"It’s the manager’s choice," Collins told PA Sport.

"It doesn’t matter if I’m captain or not captain - I’ll still go on the park to play my best and try to win, as always.

"It’s actually difficult enough just to get in the team, so I’m happy enough playing, never mind being captain."

Fulham sneaked past Finnish no-hopers FC Haka in the second round on away goals, drawing 0-0 at home and 1-1 away.

And Louis Saha’s 77th-minute strike on Saturday means - if Collins & Co master the stifling heat in Greece in an evening kick-off - they will be just four games away from a place in the UEFA Cup.

The first leg of a last four clash would be at Loftus Road on Wednesday, almost certainly against French side Sochaux.

And Collins believes his men will start their two year ground share with QPR with that fixture.

"There’s no doubt Aigaleo are a better team than FC Haka, both in terms of organisation and technical ability," he added.

"But I’m very confident about tomorrow’s match. We’ve got forward players with pace, so we can sit back a bit and bring them on to us.

"That will create space in behind them that our forwards can use.

"We dominated the first game on Saturday and once again should have scored more goals.

"But the important thing in Europe is not to concede at home. We didn’t and now we’re in the driving seat and hoping to go to Greece and finish the job."

Fulham are keen to focus attention on tomorrow’s fixture after last weekend’s revelations that Tigana could quit when his contract runs out next summer.

Tigana has decided Djetou and Japanese World Cup star Junichi Inamoto, signed on a year’s loan from Gamba Osaka, are not sufficiently prepared to make their Cottagers debuts in Greece.

Rufus Brevett is still troubled by his groin injury and Lee Clark’s Achilles - which has ruled him out of every game bar one since Christmas - is keeping him sidelined.