CRAIG Short was set to play his first game for three weeks today, as Blackburn Rovers boss Brian Kidd made special preparations to get more of his casualties match fit.

Sidelined by a hamstring strain since the middle of last month, the central defender was lined up for a behind-closed-doors game against Manchester City.

And Kidd, anxious to get as many of his recovering stars back in shape as possible, was also expected to give Jason McAteer and Matt Jansen their head in the practice match.

With a number of players away on international duty, it could not be a truly representative Rovers side but that did not really matter.

As Kidd stressed, the important thing was to give certain players a game to encourage hopes of a return when the serious action gets under way again next week.

"Players like Craig need games and so do others like Macca and Matty," said the manager.

"There's no substitute for it once they are fit again."

McAteer and Jansen, of course, made a successful comeback in the reserves on Tuesday night.

For McAteer it was his first step after being absent for nearly six months. Jansen has been out since the game at West Brom - the same length of time as Short.

He went down with illness but is starting to feel much stronger.

"It was some kind of virus, like salmonella poisoning, and it set me back," said Jansen who scored twice in the reserves' 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.

"I felt okay (for the reserves), though I tired a bit towards the end of the second half. I was just glad to be back, saw plenty of the ball and there was lots of space.

"That's what the gaffer said to me - to use it as a training session, which is what I did.

"I'm feeling good, getting fit again and should be back in contention for the next game."

With another reserve game scheduled for Newcastle on Monday, Kidd will have to weigh up who he wants to use at Leeds in the Worthington Cup on Wednesday night and which players to target for a return to League action against Grimsby tomorrow week.

Meanwhile, Sheffield United manager Adrian Heath has decided not to take his interest in young Ewood winger Andy McAvoy any further for the moment.

McAvoy, 20, has played two reserve games as part of a loan arrangement with Rovers' First Dvision rivals.

But United have not made a bid to turn it into a permanent signing.

There are so many players in front of the speedy winger in the Rovers squad that he seems to have little chance of featuring in future first team contention. One of them, Damien Johnson, cannot claim a regular first team place at Ewood - yet he looks set to make his first competitive appearance in a Northern Ireland senior shirt in Finland tomorrow evening.

Johnson does have one full Northern Ireland cap to his credit, from a friendly against the Republic of Ireland earlier this year when he made an appearance as a substitute.

But tomorrow's final Euro 2000 qualifier should see him get a chance in a competitive fixture for the first time.

Even if Johnson doesn't start, he is expected to get a call from the bench after stepping up from the under-21s to replace injured Ewood team-mate Keith Gillespie in Lawrie McMenemy's squad.

Six players, including Ewood keeper Anthony Williams, will make their last appearances for Wales at under-21 level tonight.

Williams will extend his Welsh Under-21 caps record to 16 matches in the final UEFA championship group one match against Switzerland at League of Wales club, Newtown.

Currently on loan with Gillingham, the keeper will now have to impress manager Mark Hughes enough to be included in the full squad.

Rovers schoolboy keeper Kieran Renton played for Scotland in their 5-1 Victory Shield international (under-15s) win over Wales last night.

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