IVAN Campo is confident he can steer clear of a potentially explosive duel with Leeds' hot-head Alan Smith at Elland Road tomorrow.

Wanderers' volatile Spanish defender knows from personal experience to respect the fiery front man, who will be on top note after his stunning four-goal blast against Hapoel Tel-Aviv in the UEFA Cup in Florence onThursday.

But he has no intention of letting the Premiership clash turn into a test of their temperaments.

"I'd rather starve him of service instead of getting into a personal battle with Alan Smith," Campo insisted today.

"I've had the pleasure of playing against him for Real Madrid against Leeds and he stood out against us as a good player. He wears the shirt proudly and that's important.

"Certainly it will be an interesting confrontation. He has an eye for goal and Leeds can go places with a player like him. He's quick and he's an opportunist but he is also a team player, which is very important - and I've got to say he is coming into the game in good form after scoring those four goals.

"He will be up for it but I am the sort of player who would rather not get into individual battles."

Sam Allardyce, who has repeatedly warned Campo to calm his Latin passions, rates Smith "the top striker in the country at the moment" but sees no reason for any confrontation.

"Ivan won't be marking him," the manager explained. "That will be down to Bruno N'Gotty or either Gudni Bergsson, who is fit and back in the squad, or Anthony Barness, who did so well against West Brom."

Whoever is assigned the job of shadowing Smith - assuming Terry Venables selects the hero of the 4-1 European triumph - Allardyce will instruct his players not to provoke the striker who has one of the shortest fuses in football.

"If you upset him, he's a much more impressive and talented player than if he's left alone," he suggested.

"He comes from all sides and all angles, never stops running, holds the ball up and never gives anything up.

"But Smith, Kewell and Viduka are all red hot in front of goal at the moment and we need to make sure we nullify whatever pairing they have up front."

Bergsson is back in the reckoning after missing three games with an ankle injury but Paul Warhurst will not figure in the squad, despite training for the last three days after recovering from a groin injury. Mike Whitlow (groin) and Gareth Farrelly (calf) are also ruled out, as is Ricardo Gardner who is suspended.

Meanwhile, Campo has spoken of his determination to convert his season's loan from Real Madrid into a permanent deal by helping Wanderers stay in the Premiership.

Asked if he was missing the Bernabeu, he said through his interpreter: "No! Not at all. My time with Madrid is over, very much a thing of the past.

"I am looking forward now to playing for the cause of Bolton. My team-mates are tremendous, the manager is very positive, very single minded and very determined to bring success to Bolton and the supporters, both at home and away."

Bruno N'Gotty has failed in his appeal to get his red card in last week's 1-1 draw with West Brom rescinded.

Wanderers' French defender, sent off after a collision with Albion striker Jason Roberts, has been told by the Football Association that the decision stands and he must serve a three-match ban. He will miss next Saturday's

Premiership game at home to Chelsea and the two derby duels, at Manchester City on November 30 and at home to Blackburn Rovers on December 7.