COLIN HENDRY has sent out a war cry on the eve of the super-charged clash with Manchester United vowing he won't rest until Rovers are mathematically safe.

And the Scottish giant warned Eric Cantona and company that they are in for the fright of their lives as the defending champions look to move a step closer to winning their third title in a row.

Hendry, who admits he is taking it one day at a time as he battles against a painful groin injury, said: "The Manchester United clash is always one hell of a game and we're going to give them the a real fright. We have already beaten other title contenders such as Newcastle and Liverpool so there is no reason why we can't beat United."

Caretaker boss Tony Parkes has set his side the rather conservative mark of 42 points to secure Premiership survival and, with 37 already in the bag, Rovers are in striking distance.

But Hendry added: "I dismiss all talk of targets because they have a habit of letting you down. As far as I am concerned we're not safe until it is mathematically impossible for us to go down. We're not out of the relegation zone yet and we just have to keep picking up the points."

The Scottish international defended Rovers' performance in the draw' against Leeds on Monday.

He said: "I don't care if we play like that for our remaining six games as long as we keep picking up the points. At this stage of the season it's not a case of playing pretty football - it's down to survival."

Hendry relished playing in a three-man central defence with Ian Pearce and Henning Berg just as he does when he is on international duty. But he does not want the manager to shape the team around him.

He added: "Playing that system is better for me because of my injury but I have told the manager that shouldn't influence his decision making. I would rather step down if I thought my injury was going to jeopardise Rovers' future in the Premiership."

Danger man Cantona? "I have learnt you should never underestimate or give too much respect to any player. I treat every opponent the same."

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