BLACKBURN Rovers could face formidable competition from Ajax if they decide to press ahead and make Sampdoria coach Sven Goran Eriksson their top target for the vacant manager's job at Ewood.

Louis Van Gaal has made it clear that he is to quit Ajax at the end of the season and Eriksson is being tipped as a likely successor.

The highly-rated Swedish coach has re-iterated his comments of a couple of weeks ago, saying he has not yet been approached by anyone from Blackburn.

And he has also stated his intention to fulfil his contract.

But that expires next summer and who is to say that Rovers might not decide they can afford to leave Tony Parkes in charge - providing they know that the top-class boss they want has agreed to join them at the end of the season.

There could, however, be one major problem with such a scenario.

Good sources in Holland and Sweden believe that Eriksson is one of the top European bosses being targeted by the Amsterdam giants to get them back on the rails.

He has impeccable credentials, having been a successful coach with leading European clubs, winning trophies, and is said to be a firm believer in a strong youth system.

Ajax are the world leaders in producing their own young players. Eriksson has also been reported to have watched Ajax matches, though that could be as a routine part of his job with Genoa giants Sampdoria.

The pull of a club like Ajax would probably be too strong for someone with Eriksson's reputation and the timing would be right, Van Gaal's intended departure co-inciding with the end of his own contract in Italy.

While speculation continues, the top coach again played down suggestions that he was on the point of leaving Sampdoria.

"Nobody from Blackburn has been here to talk to me or the club," he said.

"I am not going anywhere. I am happy here so far.

"We are doing well in the league and there is no reason why I should leave before half the league is gone."

Meanwhile, Matt Le Tissier will definitely not be part of the Southampton team at Ewood on Saturday, as Rovers bid to claim their second victory of the season. Le Tissier suffered a thigh injury last Saturday and has no chance of recovering in time for this weekend.

Without him, Southampton earned a 1-1 draw at Oxford and will claim a place in the quarter finals of the Coca-Cola Cup if they win the replay at The Dell.

David Batty will be able to play in Newcastle United's Boxing Day game at Ewood - thanks to the 3-1 defeat at Middlesbrough in the Coca-Cola Cup last night.

If Newcastle had drawn, the replay would have meant postponing their League game against Coventry and that would have left the Tynesiders with only two Premiership matches between the start of Batty's suspension and the Boxing Day clash.

The Coca-Cola Cup disciplinary rules this season are largely self-contained and, having been sent off in a League game, Batty is set to receive a three-match ban applying only to Premiership and FA Cup matches.

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