BLACKBURN Rovers goalkeeper Brad Friedel will miss the rest of the season.

The United States international pulled a stomach muscle in last week's victory over Manchester United and now faces a race against time to be fit for the start of his country's World Cup qualifying campaign which starts this summer.

Friedel's absence for Rovers' last two games means that Peter Enckelman will finally get the chance to make his first team debut for the club.

Enckelman has waited patiently for his chance since joining Rovers, initially on loan, in November last year.

The Finnish international has been virtually an ever-present on the bench but has yet to figure in a first team game for his new club.

That's now all set to change at Tottenham on Saturday, however, when Enckelman is likely to make his first Premiership start for Rovers.

Then the 27-year-old could face a fiery end to the season when Birmingham City visit Ewood Park on the final day of the campaign.

When Enckelman was at his previous club, Aston Villa, he once famously conceded a bizarre own goal from a throw-in during a stormy Midlands derby against the Blues at St Andrew's and Birmingham fans have never let him forget it.

In the meantime, Friedel, who picked up the injury in the last 10 seconds of Saturday's game with United, is hoping to make a swift recovery in time to be fit for the start of his country's World Cup campaign.

The popular American goalkeeper only recently returned to the international stage following a two-year absence and he was looking forward to the challenge of winning his place back on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, Ewood enforcer Garry Flitcroft believes Rovers' flirtation with relegation will make the squad all the stronger next season.

Flitcroft has called on his team-mates to finish the current campaign with a flourish now that their place in the Premiership is secure.

Four successive wins have fired the team up to 13th in the table and Flitcroft is adamant the club's recent struggles will help the squad to grow in stature over the next 12 month months.

"It's been a tough old season," said the Rovers skipper.

"Some of the lads had never been in that situation before but I had it for four seasons as a young lad at Manchester City, so I knew at Christmas time that we were going to be in it all season.

"But we've pulled out of it and I'm sure we'll be all the stronger for it next season.

"I don't think we need to make massive changes over the summer. It's probably more a case of tinkering.

"Obviously, some new lads are going to come in and there's going to be some lads who are going to go.

"But you can see from our last four games that there's not too much wrong.

"I think the gaffer's got the right personnel in the team at the minute and that's why we've got the results."