BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness has axed Andy Todd and Dwight Yorke from Rovers' pre-season trip to Germany.
Souness has dropped his broadest hint yet that the duo no longer figure in his long-term plans after deciding to ditch them both from his 24-man squad for the 10-day training camp.
While the rest of the first team will begin the countdown to the new season on tour, Yorke and Todd have been told to stay at home and train with the reserves, who face pre-season warm-up games against Rossendale and Stalybridge instead.
However, Andy Cole and Garry Flitcroft have been included in the travelling party, despite recent speculation linking them with moves elsewhere.
Souness's decision to leave Yorke and Todd at home is perhaps an early sign of things to come after he warned his squad that no-one's guaranteed a starting place next season.
A glut of injuries meant the team virtually picked itself at certain points last term, but now that Souness has added Paul Dickov, Dominic Matteo and Javier De Pedro to his squad over the summer months, the Rovers boss feels he finally has the competition for places he has always been craving.
And he's vowed to eliminate any thoughts of a comfort zone creeping in at Ewood during the coming months.
"Last year the team was picking itself," said Souness. "This year, hopefully, if we can avoid long-term injuries to our key men then I'll have to pick the team and make some decisions.
"What will help me make those decisions is how they train every day, not just how they play on a Saturday.
"We've got more competition now than at any time since I've been at the club.
"No-one is guaranteed a place and that's how it has to be because the minute that happens complacency creeps in.
"There's no doubt about it, I think last year there were people at this club who allowed themselves to get into the comfort zone so, please God, we don't get the injuries that allows that to happen again."
Souness has already made it clear that he's keen to get several players out of the door before the season starts but as yet no-one has made any firm enquiries for any members of the first team squad.
"We've brought new players in and there'll be people here who'll think that's pushed them further down the pecking order," said Souness.
"If someone came in and made us an offer for them to go then we'd listen to it and then that would maybe enable me to go again (in the transfer market).
"I know it's been rumoured that certain things are happening but as yet no-one has picked up the phone and made us an offer for any of our players."
As I understand it, Burnley have made a tentative enquiry about taking Flitcroft on a season-long loan but that idea was rebuffed by Rovers.
In the meantime, Souness still plans to take a look at Diego Maradona - the son of the Argentine legend - during a trial at Brockhall but the Rovers boss is keeping an open mind about the 17-year-old despite all the hype surrounding him.
"He might not be any good. He might not adapt to English football and he might not be good enough. But we'll have a look," added the Ewood chief.
