BRIAN Kidd pinpointed the key absence of so many senior and experienced players after seeing Blackburn Rovers lose last night's crucial relegation scrap with Everton.

But the Ewood boss, hamstrung by a wicked combination of injury, suspension and illness, knows the outlook is fairly bleak as far as getting many of them back in the side is concerned.

"The difficult and unfortunate part is that I don't see any of the long-term ones coming back," he said.

"What has been hurting us has been the suspensions and the injuries.

"If we had the bodies there it would be different but we've never had a squad we have been able to work with.

"And it keeps being compounded by other things.

"This week we have had a wee bit of sickness as well and we have been telling the players to be careful in training with their tackling in case one goes down injured again.

"Things like that are out of our control.

"If you look in the treatment room there is some excellent quality there.

"And I have always said I'm a great believer in that it's what we do that matters.

"But people outside obviously don't realise our situation.

"It's not their concern, it's only ours.

"Young Damien Johnson came straight back off injury and had to play because Keith Gillespie turned his ankle in training plus he wasn't so well.

"You have Johnson, young David Dunn, who has been poorly, Damien Duff, Kevin Davies and Callum Davidson who are all young players. You can go through it and you know you need your experienced players in situations like this."

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