BLACKBURN Rovers boss Steve Kean anticipates a real battle for places in the weeks to come as he prepares to select his first side since the club completed their summer transfer business.

Rovers travel to Fulham on Sunday and Kean could be faced with a number of dilemmas with Scott Dann, Yakubu and Simon Vukcevic all in contention to make their debuts.

Dann and Yakubu arrived on deadline day and gained match practice in a behind closed doors game against Celtic on Tuesday along with 18-year-old forward Jordan Slew, who could potentially be eased into the first-team set-up more gradually.

Vukcevic, who has been on international duty with Montenegro, is also yet to feature for Rovers since signing from Sporting Lisbon.

Rovers will assess David Dunn and Morten Gamst Pedersen, who both picked up hamstring injuries against Everton 11 days ago, but Vince Grella is fit again and close to a first-team return.

Kean last week declared himself satisfied with his business during the summer and now knows he has serious competition for places at his disposal.

“I think when you look at the squad, I’ve always said that we’d like to have a competitive squad with two players in every position and we’ve certainly got that now,” said the Scot. “It was difficult at the start of the season because we had to play Steven Nzonzi as a centre half and Ryan Nelsen wasn’t 100 per cent fit, but Ryan being Ryan put himself up to play in the game against Villa.

“Now we’ve got Scott, we’ve managed to keep Chris Samba, Ryan’s had a little bit of a rest on his knee and Gael Givet’s back playing as good as ever. So I think at the back we’ve got a solid unit.

“We’ve managed to add Yakubu, together with Goodwillie earlier on in the window, so we’ve got different types – Jason Roberts, Yakubu, Formica, Goodwillie, there’s different permutations “Then we’ve got Vukcevic and Petrovic and once they settle, which I think will be pretty quick, they’ve got great quality to add to your Pedersens, Rochinas and Hoiletts.

“We’ve got great young ones coming through and a good stable senior group.”

Rovers have expressed their ambition for a ‘marquee signing’ since Venky’s took over the club last November - moving for Raul last month only for the striker to stay at Schalke.

But, while revealing that the club may try again for such a signing in January, Kean knows his team must be built on solid foundations rather than merely big names.

He said: “I think the owners have always said that if we can get somebody that’s as people call it a marquee signing - the names have been out there, we actively pursued one, it didn’t come off.

“But I’ve always said if that comes off then that’s fantastic but as long as we’ve got the backbone.

“Now we’ve got Scott and Yakubu added together with other lads, I think we’ve got a strong backbone right through our club.

“If we can get somebody in the next window that we think has still got football left in them and they’re a big name, then all well and good.”