BLACKBURN Rovers officials are hoping for a late surge in ticket sales as they prepare to return to European competition after a four-year absence later this week.

With just two days to go before Thursday night's UEFA Cup first round first leg clash with CSKA Sofia, the Ewood ticket office has reported a 'steady' flow of trade.

But Rovers are hopeful the gate will be boosted even further by a late flood of interest on the night for a game which is not being screened live on television.

"As things stand, I think we'd sold around 11,000 tickets by the end of the weekend but I would hope that figure might rise to about 16,000, depending on how many people buy on the night of the game," said chief executive John Williams.

"Initially, we were aiming for around 20,000 and we might still get that, although it's looking as though it could be slightly below that figure."

In a bid to swell the attendance, Rovers have slashed ticket prices for the game to just £12.

Meanwhile, Ewood officials are expecting between 300 and 500 fans to make the trip from Bulgaria for the game.

Initially, Rovers issued CSKA with 300 tickets but they have since asked for more.