ITALIAN hitman Ciccio Grabbi has been linked with a move back to Italy, with Napoli reportedly ready to make a £6million bid.

Rovers chief executive John Williams confirmed today. "We have had a couple of enquiries from Italian clubs through third parties."

But manager Graeme Souness insisted: "The issue of whether he is for sale or not is irrelevant because we have not had a bid for the player.

"A couple of agents have contacted us to tell us that a couple of teams would like him but that may be more to do with timing.

"Unlike here they have a transfer window in Italy when they have to do business and that is from the beginning of December to the beginning of January.

"This might just be a case of agents trying to make a bit of money for themselves.

"Ciccio is aware of the situation because he has heard about it in the Italian papers but he still wants to prove himself here.

"He is disappointed he has not got going yet but a lot of that has been down to circumstances beyond his control. His wife has had a baby, he has had a lot of injuries and all we care about is getting him fit and getting him started."

Grabbi has had a tough time since his £6.5million switch from Serie B side Ternana, struggling to find the net and also hampered by injury.

He has hit just one goal in eight league starts, the winner against Everton, and has struggle to make a significant impact.

Italian giants Napoli have fallen on hard times of late, dropping to Serie B themselves last summer, but after financial problems they have recently been boosted by an injection of funds that would allow them to swoop for Grabbi.

There is no doubt the player has not been helped by fitness problems and Grabbi today spoke of his own wretched luck with injuries as he battles to be fit for selection for Saturday's game against Chelsea.

He has yet to complete a full 90 minutes for Rovers after suffering from a catalogue of problems.

At the moment he is sidelined by medial knee ligament damage and he confessed: "I don't know how long it's going to take -- it could be one week or two weeks. I don't know if I will be back for Chelsea or if it will be longer.

"The whole situation is very frustrating for me at the moment because I've now had five injuries during my time in England and I've never known anything like it before in my career.

"I had an operation when I was back in Italy but never five injuries one after the other.

"If it hadn't happened to me I wouldn't have believed it was possible."

And his problems show no signs of abating ahead of the testing trip to Stamford Bridge and it remains to be seen whether any of the Italian clubs who have been showing an interest will follow up their enquiries.

Meanwhile Ewood enforcer Garry Flitcroft today faced up to the prospect of a three week lay-off after suffering a devastating new injury blow.

Scans on the midfielder's troublesome groin injury yesterday revealed a fresh tear sustained in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Liverpool.

So now the 29-year-old skipper has resigned himself to missing Rovers' league clashes against Chelsea, Middlesbrough and Leeds, as well as next Wednesday's Worthington Cup showdown with his old club Manchester City.

"I'm absolutely gutted, to be totally honest," said Flitcroft. "I just felt it coming on during the second half against Liverpool on Saturday which is why I came off.

"Then when I had a scan on it yesterday it showed a new tear so the gamble has backfired. Now it looks as though I could be missing for two or three weeks which is a real blow.

"But I've got to make sure we get it right this time because I don't want to break down again."

Flitcroft first complained of the injury some weeks ago but a series of painkilling injections enabled him to play through the pain barrier.

However, things finally came to a head in the recent 2-1 win at Southampton.

But, after 10 days of intensive treatment under the watchful eye of Ewood physio Dave Fevre, he then made the decision to return at the weekend, only for it to blow up in his face.