BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness is poised to make another swoop in the transfer market as he looks to patch-up his injury-hit defence.

Souness has now identified a player he believes may solve his defensive problems after scouring the length and breadth of Europe.

And a new arrival could even check in at Ewood in time for Saturday's clash with Everton after progress was made yesterday.

"We made an enquiry about a player yesterday and now we are waiting for his club to get back to us to see if our valuation meets theirs," said the Rovers boss today.

"But with the market we are in at the moment, we've either got to go out and try and get someone who we feel we might be able to get a couple of years out of, or take a gamble on someone who we think could be a good player in time but might not necessarily be proven at this level.

"So it's important we get the right man."

Souness has run the rule over a host of players in the last few weeks after injuries to Stig Bjornebye, Craig Short and John Curtis have left his defensive resources severely depleted.

Short is the biggest worry as the former Everton man is now facing up to SIX weeks on the sidelines after undergoing an operation to trim his cartilage last week.

And Curtis has no chance of being fit for either of Rovers' home games this week after suffering a muscle tear.

Souness is confident, however, of Bjornebye being back in time for tomorrow's visit of Bolton after he missed the Ipswich game with a back problem.

But that will not stop Souness in his pursuit of a left-sided defender with Perugia's Mauro Milanese and Sedan's David Di Tomasso both in the frame.