BLACKBURN Rovers will head into the last two games of the season knowing it's 'sixth or bust' as far as their European dreams are concerned.

In the past, there have been instances where clubs finishing as low as seventh in the Premiership table have been granted a back-door into Europe at the end of the season.

However, Rovers secretary Tom Finn today confirmed, after doing the maths, that the UEFA places will only go down as far as sixth this term, regardless of the outcome of the FA Cup final.

Normally speaking, the top four clubs in the Premiership are guaranteed a place in the Champions League at the end of the season.

Then English clubs are allocated a further three places in the UEFA Cup on top of that -- one to the team finishing fifth in the Premiership, one to the Worthington Cup winners, and one to the winners of the FA Cup.

This season, however, Liverpool won the Worthington Cup, and because they are currently on course to qualify for Europe anyway by finishing in the Premiership's top five, that would free up another UEFA Cup place which would be allocated to the team who finishes sixth.

But no extra place can be created as a result of the FA Cup final, whatever the outcome of the clash between Arsenal and Southampton.

Current rules state that the winners of the FA Cup are guaranteed a UEFA Cup place and if the winners have already qualified for Europe via other means (i.e. Arsenal) then that place will go to the runners-up.

Southampton are, therefore, already guaranteed a place in Europe next season whether they win the cup or not.

Just to complicate matters even further, English clubs might be granted a further UEFA Cup place courtesy of the Fair Play League.

As things stand, the country who is ranked highest in the Fair Play League at the end of the season will receive an extra place.

If that ends up being England then that place will be allocated to the club who finishes highest in the Premier League Fair Play League, which at the moment is Manchester City.

So now that's clear, Rovers know they must finish sixth to stand any chance of playing in Europe next season.

They are currently three points behind Everton with two games still to play and manager Graeme Souness knows what his side must do.

"We've got West Brom at home and Tottenham away and we'll have to win both of those games and hope that Everton lose one," said Souness.

"So who knows what could happen. Everton have got Manchester United on the last day of the season but they could have won the championship by then so that game won't really matter to them.

"But I'm not even thinking about that right now. If it happens, it happens."