BRIAN Kidd might be forced to turn to the transfer market again, unless there is a rapid transformation in his midfield crisis.

While the Blackburn Rovers boss has players to spare in most other areas - with speculation denied at Ewood today that Celtic had launched a £7 million bid for Callum Davidson and Christian Dailly - his midfield problems will be highlighted at Fratton Park tonight.

Rovers' current vulnerability in that department could mean a wholesale reshuffle as they take on Portsmouth in the first leg of their second round Worthington Cup tie.

With long-term injury victims Jason McAteer, Garry Flitcroft and Billy McKinlay still not ready to return and Lee Carsley hit by a virus, having come back from international duty with a throat infection, they will be stripped to the bare bones. The manager will have to switch people around or even consider handing a debut to one of the reserve players such as Wayne Gill.

When you consider that games are about to start coming up thick and fast and Rovers have some leeway to make up in the First Division table, they are taking a major gamble as things stand.

Both McAteer and Flitcroft were able to take some part in a practice match at Brockhall on Sunday but there is still no guarantee of how soon they will be fit for first team football.

And there is always the risk of them breaking down.

Rovers had originally hoped at least two of the three would be back by now.

If Carsley were to suffer any relatively serious injury problems, they could find themselves in a hole.

They have a squad with cover - more than enough in some positions - for everywhere but midfield and are walking a tightrope in that respect.

While it can be argued that they also have plenty of options in midfield when everyone is fit, the fact is that most of their seniors in that position have not been fit for a long time.

It is something of a quandary for the manager but he has balanced the books in his buying and selling so far.

And, if they were eventually to finish up with a surfeit of players, there is no reason why they could not sell at a later date. What Rovers cannot afford to do is to wait too long for people to come back.

Meanwhile, speculation in one of today's tabloids claimed Kenny Dalglish was interested in a £7 million bid for Dailly and Davidson after watching Rovers' game against Tranmere on Saturday.

Ewood chief executive John Williams said: "We have had no contact from Celtic whatsoever, though it is true that Kenny was at the game."

It was thought in Glasgow today that Dalglish's target was Tranmere's midfielder Alan Mahon.f=helveticas=6f+bf-bo Portsmouth are set to choose from: Petterson, Robinson, Crowe, Cundy, Whitbread, Awford, Panopouls, Miglioranzi, Thogersen, Peron, McLoughlin, Whittingham, Claridge, Lovell, Nightingale, Pamarot, Flahavan.

Rovers are to give trials to two more young Australians who will join Scott Tunbridge at Brockhall next week.

Contacts of Academy director Bobby Downes have come up with 17-year-old midfielder Jamie Jonson and 15-year-old centre back Sean Cooney as potential future signings.

Cooney has also been interesting Barnsley but is keen to come to Blackburn for a spell.

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