VINCE Grella looks set to make an early New Year return with boss Steve Kean insisting any new faces will be added to ‘help rather than replace’ his Rovers squad.

The Australian midfielder is leading the charge from Rovers’ walking wounded and is being lined up as a direct replacement for Brett Emerton – who plays his last game before Australia’s Asian Cup campaign in Qatar at Sunderland tomorrow.

Grella has been missing since the end of October with an Achilles injury but is now close to full fitness and could even be in contention for Liverpool’s visit next Wednesday.

Fellow long-term absentees Steven Nzonzi and Keith Andrews are also believed to be nearing fitness, with their returns understood to be two to three weeks away, as Rovers’ midfield injury nightmare finally shows signs of easing.

With Phil Jones out for the majority of the season after knee surgery and Emerton possibly ruled out for a month because of international commitments, Kean will still be desperate to add new faces to his squad as the transfer window reopens tomorrow.

Barcelona’s teenage midfielder Oriol Romeu remains on Rovers wish list, although club sources have indicated FROM BACK PAGE the prospect of bringing him to the club is diminishing.

The priority will be to land a central midfielder and a striker able to make an immediate impact in the Premier League, with the potential of adding younger ‘development’ players a bonus if the cash pot allows.

Kean and his staff are in the process of drawing up a wish list to submit to their owners in India, with the amount available for transfers still uncertain.

Hoffenheim’s Demba Ba is just one striker understood to be on the club’s radar, along with some more proven Premier League players, but their next move depends on how much Venky’s will make available next month.

Kean is understood to be hopeful of bringing at least three new players to Ewood Park in the coming weeks but has stressed to his current squad, they will be signed to help not replace.

Kean said: “We have got a very good group and if we can get the ones who have been out for a longer term then things look good.

“Vince Grella should be coming back very quickly, Keith Andrews is making strides, Steven Nzonzi is making strides. Jason Roberts probably still three weeks but hopefully we can get a few bodies back.

“Then the window opens and we can maybe strengthen to help the lads, not replace them. I stress that it is not to replace them.

Then we are going to have a really god squad going into the end of the season.

“It is about who becomes available in the positions we need. We will go and put together a good strong list and see what we can do.”

Meanwhile Motherwell loanee Nick Blackman will return to Blackburn Rovers, with the 21-year-old’s future up in the air.