BLACKBURN Rovers are set to step up their chase for Norwich boss Bruce Rioch.

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph understands that talks are planned with the former Bolton Wanderers and Arsenal manager later this week.

There was a deafening silence at Carrow Road today, with both Rioch and his chairman Bob Cooper refusing to discuss the situation.

But, if the process has reached the discussions stage, a formal approach must already have been made.

Norwich are riddled with debt to the tune of £7m and, contrary to national newspaper reports, Rioch has another year-and-a-half remaining on his contract.

So the compensation package would prove appealing to Carrow Road chiefs.

The Rovers board are determined to appoint the man they see fit to gain promotion back to the Premiership at the first attempt, even at the cost of a disappointing response from fans.

But the fact that Rioch has no loyal number two would be bound to increase the public clamour for the return of Colin Hendry in a coaching capacity.

Rioch satisfies the board's criteria, in that he won promotion for Bolton to the Premiership via the play-offs.

He had previously taken Middlesbrough up twice in consecutive years.

Rioch is also viewed as a longer-term option because of his season at Arsenal, where he bought Denis Bergkamp before being edged out in favour of Arsene Wenger. A spell at QPR followed before his move to Norwich in June 1998.

Meanwhile, caretaker boss Tony Parkes believes Rovers can seriously test Charlton's promotion credentials at The Valley tonight.

Addicks boss Curbishley, whose own link with the Ewood job was unlikely to be much more than national newspaper speculation, claims to have the best team in the division.

But Rovers are currently on something of a roll themselves having gone four games unbeaten under Parkes.

And such is the new found belief in the Ewood camp, both Parkes and his players believe they are more than capable of getting a result in the capital.

"I was reading yesterday that Alan Curbishley thinks he's got the best team in the league, so we'll put that to the test," said Parkes.

"They've got a good squad of players, they've got a good unit, they are third in the league and they are playing well.

"And they are also looking to bounce back after relegation, the same as we are.

"So it's certainly a tough game for us, especially it being our fourth in 10 days.

"But we'll be giving it our best shot."

Saturday's morale-boosting victory over Stockport has put talk of a play-off place firmly back on the agenda.

But Parkes is refusing to get carried away in the latest wave of optimism.

And he is just concentrating on collecting as many points as he can before a new manager comes in.

"People say that four points from two games or two points per game would get you promotion," said Parkes.

"But it's a tall order, especially when your record has been poor for the first 13 or 14 games.

"So I'm not expecting any miracles." The last time Rovers visited The Valley both teams were locked in a Premiership relegation battle but the game was shrouded in controversy after Ashley Ward was denied a blatant penalty.

That incident effectively condemned Rovers to First Division football but Parkes is trying to look to the future rather than the past.

"It was a crucial game and unfortunately we had a blatant penalty which wasn't given," said Parkes.

"Ashley Ward got poleaxed by the keeper but the referee seemed unfit to give a penalty.

"But then we had a lot of results last year when we didn't have the rub of the green.

"That's all in the past, though, now and we are both in the First Division so we've got to look forward, not behind.

"They are in the top three and we are looking towards the top half of the league at the moment so it makes for a good game."

Parkes will make late fitness checks on defensive duo Steve Harkness and Darren Peacock before naming his team.

Peacock felt a slight reaction to his heel problem against Stockport on Saturday while Harkness took a slight knock in the game.

But both players should declare themselves fit.

Rovers squad is: Kelly, Grayson, Harkness, Dailly, Peacock, Carsley, McAteer, Frandsen, Ostenstad, Ward, Duff, Wilcox, Davidson, Kenna, Blake, Taylor, Jansen, Filan.

Meanwhile, Charlton have an injury doubt over defender Greg Shields ahead of tonight's clash.

Shields has an ankle problem and if he does not make it then Steve Jones will deputise.

Charlton will choose from: Kiely, Powell, Brown, Shields, Youds, Rufus, Kinsella, Jones, Robinson, Newton, Mendonca, Hunt, Ilic, Stuart, Pringle, Todd, Salako.

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