CHRIS Sutton hopes to take a positive step forward on the route to full recovery tonight, when he turns out for Blackburn Rovers reserves against Notts County at Meadow Lane.

The £5 million man made a brief - but important - re-appearance on the first team stage as a late substitute at White Hart Lane last Saturday.

But, after more than three months on the sidelines with an ankle injury, he desperately needs match practice and welcomed the chance of starting a game at last.

"We have two reserve team matches before the next Premiership game," he said.

"Hopefully I can play in both of them and then see how it goes."

Sutton, in fact, has had only two full matches in the last five months and readily admits it's almost like starting the season all over again for him. And in both of those games, he played in the centre of defence!

Rovers boss Ray Harford was delighted to see Sutton back in action against Spurs, however briefly.

He named him on the bench, even though the player had only had one full week's training and no games.

Apart from goalkeeper Bobby Mimms, Sutton was the only other senior player with any Premiership experience available to the manager because of the injury crisis.

Under normal circumstances, and with something approaching a full-strength team, Harford said he would usually name a goalkeeper among his three subs.

But when there are so many problems, he opts to take a risk and name three outfield players.

On Saturday, the new-look team gelled well. But the manager's late gamble on Sutton proved well worthwhile as he went into midfield and, within a matter of minutes, put Alan Shearer through for the dramatic winner.

Harford has already underlined how pleased he has been with the player's attitude during his lengthy absence and how hard he has worked to stay as fit as possible.

He will be closely monitoring Sutton's progress now that he can, at last, get down to some serious work on the pitch.

Adam Reed is also fit enough to return to action tonight, after recovering from hamstring problems.

And, after the good impression made by young right winger Damien Johnson on his Pontin's League debut in the last reserve match, Rovers have included the youth team left winger Damien Duff in the squad.

They will choose from: Mimms, Hitchen, Tallon, Gill, Coughlan, Reed, Johnson, Holmes, Sutton, Gudmundsson, Duff, Morgan, Goodall, McCrone.

Alan Shearer and Tim Flowers were named today in Terry Venables' squad for next week's friendly against Bulgaria at Wembley.

And Shearer could get a fresh attacking partner, with Robbie Fowler included in the squad.

Flowers, meanwhile, has been in excellent form recently and will challenge David Seaman for the goalkeeping position although Tottenham's Ian Walker is also in the frame. The full squad is: Seaman (Arsenal), Walker (Tottenham), Flowers (Blackburn), Jones (Liverpool), Howey (Newcastle), Pearce (Nottm Forest), P Neville (Man Utd), Wright (Liverpool), Southgate (Aston Villa), Ehiogu (Aston Villa), G Neville (Man Utd), Stone (Nottm Forest), Sinclair (QPR), Redknapp (Liverpool), Gascoigne (Rangers), Platt (Arsenal), Ince (Inter Milan), Wise (Chelsea), Beardsley (Newcastle), Fowler (Liverpool), Shearer (Blackburn), Ferdinand (Newcastle), Sheringham (Totenham), Lee (Newcastle), McManaman (Liverpool), Barmby (Middlesbrough).

Sources in Grimsby believe Rovers are continuing to monitor 22-year-old defender Gary Croft.

He is well known to Rovers boss Ray Harford who was in charge of him on England under-21 duty.

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