PAUL Warhurst's proposed move to Crystal Palace could be just the tip of the iceberg of an Ewood exodus.

But the £1.5 million deal will have to go on ice at least until later next week.

After talks with Palace chairman Ron Noades, the Blackburn Rovers utility player told the Premiership newcomers that he wanted to discuss the move with their manager Steve Coppell before making a decision.

Palace are currently on a pre-season tour to Finland and are not due back until next Thursday.

It's thought that the player wants to discuss what role Coppell wants him to fill and also the club's ambitions for their first season back in the top flight.

Manager Roy Hodgson revealed he is under no immediate pressure to streamline a top-heavy squad but admitted that he has too many players to keep them all happy. So he also expects many other clubs to show an interest in a number of the players he has inherited at Ewood.

"It wouldn't surprise me when the season begins that, if one or two players aren't even getting a place on the bench, then they might want to be elsewhere," said the manager.

"That's something we will have to deal with when the day arrives. "I need to see players in games before I start saying this player must go or this player must stay.

"Everybody in the game knows that Blackburn have a large squad and they are going to turn to us. There are already messages on my desk to ring other managers."

Matty Holmes is also available, while Malmo would like to take Niklas Gudmundsson.

Others who might have wondered about their future at Ewood may now want to stay and battle for a first team place.

But, when it comes to the crunch and the first game against Derby County on August 9, only so many players can be satisfied.

Hodgson took his new team into their first game under his command against the powerful IFK Gothenburg side this afternoon. But he warned not to expect too much from these matches on their tour of Scandinavia.

On Tuesday night, Rovers make the lengthy trek from their West Sweden base to Norrkopping where they will play the hosts and Dundee United in a three-cornered tournament.

Each side will play the others for two "one half" 45-minute matches.

Next Saturday evening, Rovers are in Copenhagen to face Hvidovre, who have struggled in the Danish Super League this season.

On paper, at least, that promises to be the easiest of the tests facing them.

Hodgson's main aim in going to Sweden was for intensive preparation on the training ground.

"The players are not yet really in the shape to confront Gothenburg and Norkopping who are in the middle of their season and are well-oiled machines," he said.

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