MATTY Holmes is in line to start a second successive Blackburn Rovers game tonight - for the first time since the early days of the season.

With wingers Jason Wilcox and Stuart Ripley major doubts for the Premiership clash with Leeds United at Ewood, Holmes looks set to retain the role he performed so well in Rovers' last game at Maine Road.

And manager Ray Harford, pictured top right, will not have any qualms about calling on the former West Ham man as he tries to put together a winning combination from a squad severely hit by injuries and also a suspension for skipper Tim Sherwood.

"Matty played very well against Manchester City, he's a good player," said Harford.

"He just hasn't been able to get a regular run in the side to help establish himself.

"Niklas Gudmundsson and Graham Fenton have been in a similar position.

"But they are still young players and they will all be there for the next few years."

Harford has made several signings but stressed today that he still intends to make a couple of really big buys.

But, as we revealed last night, he could be forced to wait until the end of the season.

"Building up the squad is a long-term job, because you want to build something really substantial," he said.

"There is still scope for two or three big ones (signings) and then we really will have a full complement, especially when we have the injured players back. "But I don't think it will necessarily happen before the deadline."

Harford does have players in mind and has been looking at home as well as abroad - at Russians Yuri Nikiforov and Ilia Tsimbalar for example.

Today he was linked with Dane Christian Lonstrup of FC Copenhagen, but I suspect he is striving for bigger deals than that.

"You are always pursuing a list of players and trying to keep yourself up to date on what is happening and what there is about," he added.

For tonight's game against Leeds, however, Harford's choices look strictly limited.l+2l-2os=6l=6.5o

Tonight's game was brought forward from March 23, because Leeds are at Wembley that weekend in the Coca-Cola Cup. Tickets will be available right up to kick-off time (7.45pm).

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