GARRY Flitcroft and Billy McKinlay both stepped up their comebacks in the reserves at Middlesbrough last night.

The midfield duo came through 90 minutes unscathed to provide manager Tony Parkes with a timely boost ahead of Rovers' game against Bolton on Saturday.

Neither player is likely to feature at The Reebok and appear to be some way off a first team return just yet.

But the fact they have both managed a full game after being out of action for over 12 months will encourage Parkes who has seen his midfield resources depleted by the loss of skipper Lee Carsley this week.

Carsley looks set to miss six weeks after breaking a bone in his foot against Newcastle on Monday night.

But Flitcroft should definitely be back in contention before then, provided he does not suffer any more set backs.

And that means Parkes will not be dipping into the transfer market to sign someone else as cover.

"We can't keep bringing in cover every time we get an injury," said Parkes.

"We've got a big enough squad at the club already and that's what it's here for.

"It's disappointing whenever a player gets injured in the first team.

"But I don't want to make too big a thing about it because I think that would be detrimental to the other players who will come in.

"There's plenty of other good players here so we'll just get on with it."

Meanwhile, defender Christian Dailly believes he has finally won over his critics after his move to Ewood had threatened to turn into a nightmare. The Scottish international has admitted he has endured a tough battle to win over the Ewood faithful after his £5.35 million move from Derby in August 1998.

But since Parkes took over, Dailly has become one of Rovers' most consistent performers.

And now he feels he has finally silenced the boo-boys.

"It was difficult when I first came and the fans must have been wondering what was going on because I played every position under the sun," said Dailly.

"When you come into a new club having been signed as a centre back and you play your first game on the right wing it's not easy.

"The only time I played centre half was actually after Roy Hodgson left but then I played just four games and got injured again.

"Now I feel more settled here, I've bought a new house in the area and I hope to be here for a long time.

"I want to do well for Blackburn and I want to win things and, hopefully, we can get out of this Division and back into the Premiership.

"I've had to battle through some bad times but, from my own point of view, barring the first couple of games, I think I've done okay all season." Apart from a rare blip at Barnsley - where Rovers were swept away by a four-goal salvo in the opening half hour - Dailly and his defensive colleagues have been in fine form since Brian Kidd got sacked.

But the 26-year-old insists that is down to the team as a whole.

"I think it's quite important that we defend all over the park because it then makes our jobs that little bit easier," said Dailly.

"Against Barnsley the whole team didn't defend well enough.

"But we put that right against Newcastle on Monday night. and, hopefully, we can take that into the Bolton game this weekend.

"If we can just keep on top of teams defensively, then I think we can definitely go on from here."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.