BLACKBURN Rovers’s frustrated strikers have been urged to ‘take their chance’ after it was confirmed loanee Franco Di Santo will return to Stamford Bridge in January.

The 20-year-old Argentine striker is not allowed to play in the trip to permanent employers Chelsea and, with the end of his Rovers spell now definite, Allardyce’s forgotten trio will be desperate for their opportunity.

Benni McCarthy, Jason Roberts and Nikola Kalinic have all been forced to settle for substitute roles, at best, in recent weeks with Di Santo starring as a lone striker and David Dunn flourishing in a free role.

But Di Santo’s absence tonight, as well as being cup tied for the Carling Cup visit of Peterborough on Tuesday night, will hand at least one of three their chance to impress and give their boss a chance to assess his New Year options.

Boss Sam Allardyce had always expected Di Santo to return to London in January, once his six-month loan spell came to an end, but with Chelsea assistant boss Ray Wilkins now confirming it, Allardyce will already be looking at alternative striking options.

Allardyce said: “I think we knew that was the case before we took him.

"He has been playing very, very well, which we are really pleased about, but it will give one of the other strikers that have struggled to get in the side on a regular basis the opportunity to play against Chelsea.

“It is all about squad systems and using that squad and making sure those players that step in don’t weaken the side.

"At the moment we have had such great form from Dunny playing in that position.

“At the start of the season, I thought two of the four strikers would always be fighting for two places, now that has changed.

"By the fact Dunny has played so well in behind the lone striker that we have played one out and out striker and the other three have been left out.

“It has been very difficult for them but, when they get an opportunity to play and one will, take your chance and keep the shirt.

"We hope that is the case because if the strikers play well, it means we have had a game against Chelsea.”

With Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou already ruled out of Chelsea’s Premier League for most of January, due to the African Nations Cup, Wilkins admitted Di Santo would no return no matter what the result of their appeal against their transfer ban imposed by FIFA.

Wilkins said: “We have a number of players out on loan and we follow their progress week in week out, and Franco comes back in January.

“Hopefully the experience Sam has afforded him will do us the world of good, we lose players to the African Nations and we will need Franco to come back into our squad.”