BLACKBURN Rovers midfielder David Dunn has declared himself fit and ready for selection for Saturday’s Championship encounter at Brighton and Hove Albion.

The fans’ favourite has missed the last nine matches after undergoing two operations on his knee but after coming through two weeks of full training Dunn will tell Rovers boss Gary Bowyer he is available to play against the Seagulls.

And, ahead of his return to first-team action, the 33-year-old also has a message for bitter rivals Burnley.

“I was fit last week but after speaking to the manager we all felt it would be best for me to get a few more training sessions under my belt and get ready for Brighton,” said Dunn. 

“I’ve trained all week and I feel pretty fit – it’s just a matter of getting myself to the level of fitness I was before I got injured.

“It was unfortunate that I had to go in for a couple of operations.

“But that’s all behind me now and hopefully I can get back to where I was and I’ll pick up my form.”

The injury could not have come at a worse time for Dunn.

He had inspired the thumping victories over Barnsley and Bolton Wanderers, scoring a wonderfully taken goal in the latter, and was ready to play in the game he loves more than most – an East Lancashire derby.

“It came about from a freak tackle in training,” said Dunn.

“It was something and nothing. It wasn’t sore, I just felt something in my knee.

“I was actually getting treatment on it before the Barnsley game and going into the Bolton game I was having real problems with it. So I booked myself in for an operation just in case.

“I tried to train on the Monday and Tuesday leading up to the Burnley game but it wasn’t good.

“While I was devastated not to be involved against Burnley, it would have been selfish of me if I’d gone out there and let people down when such a lot depended on it.”

Rovers came from behind to snatch a last-gasp draw at Turf Moor and stretch their unbeaten run against the Clarets to 11 games.

Since then Sean Dyche’s side have won seven and drawn once to move one point clear at the summit.

Dunn is full of praise for the job Burnley boss Dyche has done.

But he is hoping the Clarets suffer a similar fall from grace to the one they experienced in 2001-02, when they finished seventh after being top at Christmas.

“They are doing very well and I’ve got a lot of time for Sean Dyche,” said Dunn.

“I think he’s a really good young manager and I know a few of his backroom staff and they’re very good.

“They look like they’re very organised, it looks like they’re very fit, and it looks like they’ve got a decent team spirit amongst them.

“I’m hoping that they do what they usually do every year and blow up around this time.

“I certainly hope that’s what happens and that should lead to a very entertaining game at our place come March.

“Good luck to them but hopefully we can get on a run ourselves and finish above them.”

While Dunn is over his knee problems he is sporting a nasty scar under his left eye sustained in training.

“We’ve got a player who is an absolute pest and a nuisance and you probably see it every Saturday when you see him play – Chris Taylor,” said Dunn, who was speaking at the opening of Clayton Park Bakery’s new factory in Huncoat.

“It was just an accident. Well, I hope he didn’t mean it but he may well have given the amount of stick I give him!”