BLACKBURN Rovers will kick-off the new Premiership campaign against Sunderland tomorrow with just one goal in mind - survival.

That's the message coming from manager Graeme Souness as the waiting is almost over for Rovers supporters after a long summer of excited anticipation.

Expectations, understandably, are sky-high amongst fans after the club finished 10th last season and lifted the Worthington Cup.

But Souness is refusing to get carried away by all the talk of a charge for the top eight.

And he has sounded a note of caution ahead of tomorrow's curtain-raiser by insisting the club's number one priority must be to stay in the league over the next nine months.

"Our aim is to avoid relegation, first and foremost. That's the goal before we've kicked a ball in anger," said Souness.

"I believe the next five years in football for a club like ourselves is either going to make or break us.

"If you can remain in the Premier League during that period then it's going to make your club very strong, simply because the financial rewards for staying there are so great.

"At the same time, I think the clubs in the Nationwide League are going to have to continue making cutbacks and that's a real worry for the game.

"But we only have to look after our own jobs, and I think if we can stay in the top-flight for the next five years, then that will be the making of us.

"That's our aim and that's why our priority must be to stay in the Premier League and then build on that from there."

With new-boy Dwight Yorke set to make his league debut tomorrow following his £2 million switch from Manchester United, Rovers are confident they have the fire-power necessary to avenge the two defeats they suffered at the hands of Sunderland last season.

And Souness has promised fans they are in for an entertaining season as he prepares to adopt an all-out offensive.

"Our fans are in for an exciting season but unfortunately it's probably going to be at both ends of the ground," said Souness.

"I think we'll score goals but, the way we ask the team to play, I think we'll end up conceding them as well."

Craig Short has a good chance of returning to the squad after his thigh injury has responded to treatment this week.

But Garry Flitcroft (ankle) and Matt Jansen will both be absent through injury.

Rovers are likely to choose from: Friedel, Neill, Unsal, Short, Taylor, Dunn, Tugay, Duff, Gillespie, Yorke, Cole, Hignett, Grabbi, Berg, Todd, Pelzer, Johansson, Kelly.

Meanwhile, Sunderland assistant Adrian Heath has admitted the Black Cats tried to sign Dwight Yorke this summer before he opted for a move to Ewood.

Manager Peter Reid has spent the last few months scouring Europe for a partner for Kevin Phillips and Yorke was one of the names at the top of his list of targets.

"We were keen on Dwight Yorke and we wanted to bring him here," said Heath, speaking exclusively to the Evening Telegraph.

"The manager spoke to Manchester United on two occasions as well as Dwight himself.

"But I can see the lure of playing at Blackburn because it means he can link up with his best mate Andy Cole.

"Geographically, as well, he would have had to move to come to us so we always knew it was going to be difficult and unfortunately it didn't come off."

Now Reid could be set to switch his attentions to Rangers striker Tore Andre Flo to add to his other summer signings of Phil Babb, Stephen Wright, Thomas Myhre and Sean Thornton.

ROVERS have slammed stories on Merseyside claiming Liverpool have had a £10 million bid rejected for Damien Duff.

"The story is a nonsense and the timing of it most unwelcome. We find it incredibly tiresome," said chief executive John Williams.

"The simple fact is that we have not received a bid. So, to read such a report less than 48 hours before we start our new season is bitterly disappointing to say the very least."