BLACKBURN skipper Garry Flitcroft today warned his Ewood team-mates that they need to wise-up defensively or risk the prospect of another scrap for survival over the next nine months.

Flitcroft, who is currently side-lined by an ankle injury, admits he is genuinely excited by Rovers' attacking potential after a pre-season friendly campaign which has seen them bag 27 goals in five warm-up games.

However, it's the team's vulnerability at being caught on the break which is still giving the skipper grounds for concern.

And the midfield hard-man has sounded an alarm as the squad prepare for Saturday's Premiership curtain-raiser with Sunderland at Ewood.

"I think we are going to score bags of goals when you consider all the flair we have in this team," said Flitcroft.

"But, by the same token, I think opposition sides will always look to get at us, too.

"There's no doubt our attacking game is good because we've got so many players who are good going forward.

"But we still need to work on the defensive side of our game and we've got to be careful we don't become too cavalier at times.

"At the end of the day, improving defensively is the responsibility of the whole team, not just the back four.

"It's got to start from the front then through midfield because we've got to offer the lads at the back that bit more protection."

Rovers' defensive resources could be boosted by the return of veteran centre-back Craig Short in time for the weekend.

The former Everton defender has made good progress this week after missing the last two friendlies with a thigh injury.

But the news on Flitcroft is no quite so positive and the skipper has admitted he has no chance of returning until the Birmingham game at the earliest.

"I've not really done much running for a while so I'm hoping to start doing some work in the sand-pit today, or possibly tomorrow," said the Ewood enforcer.

"It's a lot better than it was but the medical staff don't want to push me back too soon in case it flares up again so I'm going to have to bide my time.

"So I've no chance for this weekend but I'd like to think I might have a chance of being ready for the Birmingham game.

"I know I've not played many games but my general fitness isn't too bad because I put quite a bit of work in earlier in the summer.

"So it's down to the manager in the end. No-one likes to miss games and it's even worse at this stage of the season.

"But I can't afford to come back too quickly."