SAM Allardyce has warned his Blackburn Rovers side reputations count for nothing as he closes in on his starting line-up for the Premier League opener against Manchester City.

Rovers entertain Scottish Premier League outfit Hibernian in their only pre-season fixture at Ewood Park tomorrow night, with time running out to stake claim for a starting role.

A weakened Rovers side will travel to Dundee United on Saturday, due to international commitments, for the final warm-up of the summer before the visit of Mark Hughes’ City.

Competition for places already seems fierce, with Stephen Warnock and Gael Givet’s left-back battle one of the most intriguing, but manager Allardyce insists what happened last season is already a thing of the past.

He said: “I don’t have any dilemmas. We will play the team I consider to be the best XI against Manchester City, irrespective of what went on last season.

“What happened last season makes no difference to me, it is what happens this pre season and what happens in the next two games and what is going to happen on that stupid international friendly week.”

Rovers continued their Premier League build up with a 2-2 draw at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, with skipper Ryan Nelsen and Jason Roberts on the scoresheet.

Benni McCarthy (ankle) was just one of several players to pick up a slight knock, with Vince Grella (hamstring) and David Dunn (thigh) missing the game, but all are hoped to fit for tomorrow’s visit of Hibernian.

Allardyce said: “We were very good in the first 35 minutes. We just used our superior skill and got 2-0 up and really should have played the game out for me.

“But we are still two weeks out from the start of the season. We were working on fitness and I suppose we have done some tactical stuff, but we haven’t done enough for the lads to consistently remember what it takes to win a game of football.

“Hence the lack of concentration and the allowing Sheffield to get back in the game.

"That is a bit of work we need to do by saying we have got the goals, we are completely dominating the game, we have got 2-0 up and that should be the end of it.

“When you are not in control of the game you have to make sure the opposition don’t get back in it.”