BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness has shelved plans to sign West Brom defender Neil Clement -- for the time being at least.

Speculation in the national Press over the last seven days had suggested Souness was ready to follow up his record-breaking £7.5m swoop for Andy Cole by signing the talented young Baggies defender.

But I can reveal the Ewood chief has abandoned hope of signing him in the short term at least and will now wait until the summer before moving in for him again.

Clement, tipped by Baggies boss Gary Megson as a future England international, has been linked with a host of Premiership clubs this season.

Souness has already tested the water with an enquiry for the former Chelsea reserve which was knocked back by Albion last October.

But the determined Scot is not prepared to take no for answer and plans to come back with hard cash during the close-season.

"It's no secret that I'm after a left-sided player and Neil Clement is someone we've made an inquiry about in the past,"said Souness.

"It is an area that needs filling and we will continue to try and fill it."

With Aston Villa and Middlesbrough also showing interest in the 23-year-old, Clement has declined to commit his long-term future to Albion, who have so far failed to tempt him into signing a much-improved new four-year deal.

Rated in the £3m-£4m bracket, the deadball specialist is represented by Neil Fewings, the agent behind Lee Hughes' £5m summer switch to Coventry from the Hawthorns.

And should Albion fail to secure promotion from the First Division this term, then they could be prepared to cash in on one of their prize assets in the summer.

Rovers winger Keith Gillespie was denied the chance to face his old team Manchester United at Old Trafford today after being ruled out of the Blackburn squad through sickness and injury yesterday afternoon.