JAMES Beattie is hoping his remarkable scoring record will enhance his chances of booking himself a date with West Ham United at Ewood Park on Saturday.

The teenage Blackburn Rovers striker is next in line, depending on how Rovers manager Roy Hodgson decides to cover for the absence of suspended Chris Sutton against the Hammers.

And his absence from the Rovers Reserve squad to play at Tranmere in the Pontin's League Premier Division tonight suggests he will have some role to play when the 16 are named for Saturday's Premiership clash with the Hammers.

The 19-year-old has scored 15 goals from just nine starts and one appearance as a substitute for the reserve side.

He won't add to that total tonight as Rovers, presumably, are protecting him from the risk of injury as the only remaining available senior striker is Kevin Gallacher.

Beattie was called up to the squad to travel to Arsenal last weekend because of the club's depleted striking resources.

And, while Hodgson admits the youngster still has a lot to learn, he could at least give him a place on the bench this Saturday with another striker counted out. There is no doubt that Rovers will feel Sutton's absence more than most. He is not only their leading scorer but also Ewood's only ever-present player in the Premiership.

But that record will disappear on Saturday, following the two yellow cards he collected at Old Trafford.

Hodgson was full of praise for the way in which Sutton handled himself under a lot of provocation at Highbury last Saturday. "We have to play without him and that's a big problem, because we don't have any front players apart from him and Gallacher," said the manager.

The only other striker with any experience at Ewood is Martin Dahlin and he has been unavailable and on the injured list for some time.

Hodgson has another choice, of course, and it looks the likelier option.

He could switch from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3 and play as the team did for much of last season with two wingers up alongside a single central striker in Gallacher.

That shouldn't, however, be like the 4-5-1 system used at Old Trafford and which saw Rovers hand the initiative to United with their wingers withdrawn into midfield.

But, even if the manager goes to 4-3-3, Beattie could still be involved as important back-up on the bench.

The Ewood ticket office will stay open until 8pm tonight.

Rovers' squad for tonight's reserve game at Tranmere is: Fettis, Worrell, Brown, Gill, Coughlan, Broomes, Johnson, Dunn, Fitzpatrick, Thomas, Staton, McCallion, Cassin, Taylor.

The police have sent a file on Ian Wright to the Crown Prosecution Service for advice on whether to proceed with legal action against the Arsenal striker.

Wright, 34, was interviewed by police at Highbury following a heated exchange with some Arsenal fans after Saturday's 3-1 defeat by Rovers at Highbury.

A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said today: "A report has been sent to the CPS for advice in connection with a player."

Earlier this week Wright insisted he still "loved" Arsenal fans.

"I can't say how much I love the Arsenal fans," he said. "I'm just as disappointed as they are to lose. I don't know if they were Arsenal fans, but that's just how I tend to react. I was just letting them know I was as disappointed as they were."

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