A STUNNED Paul Ince admits he will have to delve into the January transfer market after an injury-plagued Steven Reid was ruled out for the season.

Reid’s swollen knee will need surgery within the month leaving the Rovers manager’s midfield options increasingly decimated ahead of today’s trip to Bolton.

Fellow midfielder David Dunn is already a long-term absentee after an Achilles operation and, on top of David Bentley’s summer departure, Ince admits he will need to add cover when the transfer window reopens.

He reveals though it is unlikely the squad will be strengthened before the turn of the year, admitting there is a lack of quality free agents currently available.

Reid’s latest injury set-back is his fourth major ailment in as many years, restricting him to just 36 appearances since the start of the 2006/07 season.

Ince has backed the Irish international to return for the next pre-season but admits it is another devastating blow for Rovers and Reid himself.

The Rovers boss said: “I think I will have to step up my search in the transfer market now. Dunny and Reidy are long term. We need to start looking at the market and see what is around, just for the squad wise.

“Vince Grella has only played against West Ham, Keith Andrews is just finding his feet and we have lost two experienced players.

“Last season’s midfield is gone but we can’t just keep harping on about it. I am just glad the international break is almost all over till next year.

“I don’t think we will be able to bring anyone in before January. You are always looking, as a club like Blackburn we will be looking for free agents.

“But unless someone comes up who I feel is good enough to step into my squad and be part of the first team - at the moment there is nothing on the horizon until January.”

Reid’s first season at Ewood, after his £1.85million switch from Millwall in July 2003, was hampered by a hamstring injury that ruled him out for three months.

His injury woes returned in 2006 when an early back injury limited him to three appearances but missing the rest of the campaign with a cruciate knee ligament in January.

“It is devastating because he is not one of those players who doesn’t want to train and just goes through the motions,” said Ince.

“He comes out every day with a smile on his face, trains 150 per cent, and takes it out on to the field on a Saturday.

“It seems that bad things happen to good guys. He is certainly one of the good guys so it is a massive blow to all of us.

“Dunny and Reidy are two players who would have been in my first team. So you can see the task ahead.”

Rovers are hoping top knee surgeon Dr Richard Steadman will carry out the operation next month in Colorado, having worked wonders on the likes of Michael Owen, Alan Shearer and Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

“Steven had a course of tablets for his knee but it has not materialised and the next step is to get it done,” he said.

“When the club doctor rings, I call him doctor doom, I try to not to answer because he always seems to be ringing with bad news.”