DARREN Peacock is ready to hand Blackburn Rovers boss Brian Kidd another selection option after coming through 90 minutes with the reserve side last night.

And midfielder Garry Flitcroft is also confident that his comeback is on course again.

Flitcroft, who underwent surgery last October, had suffered some reaction to his knee problems after playing a game and a half in the senior side.

But, happily, he was able to complete a planned 55 minutes against Bolton Reserves at Ewood last night and said: "Everything seems fine and I am optimistic."

Rovers will be wary of taking chances with Flitcroft after he has missed so much football but his positive feelings after the reserve run out would have been good news for Kidd.

And so would the fact that Peacock was able to play a full match.

The next First Division game is not until Saturday week and it looks as though the central defender, forced to have cartilage surgery after being hurt during the pre-season Scandinavian tour, could now be in contention.

He certainly believes that, though he is not counting any chickens about being selected, pointing out: "The lads got a great result at Norwich on Saturday."

Peacock, however, confirmed that he hopes to be available for the Tranmere game on September 11 and the more players Kidd has knocking on the door the better. The former Newcastle man could well have been a first choice if he had been available at the start of the season, with his experience an asset as Rovers adapt to life in Division One.

Since then, they have added Craig Short to the centre of defence and lost Marlon Broomes through injury. But Peacock is eager to win a place back in the squad.

"Whenever the manager wants me, I'll be ready," he said.

"Obviously I want to get more games in and get fitter but it's difficult when the reserve games are few and far between.

"I was quite pleased with last night and, as far as I am concerned now, I am just looking forward to getting in the first team squad."

The injury fully emerged during the squad's pre-match warm-up for their final tour game against Fredrikstad.

Peacock, set to start, had to pull out but he had first suffered the problem during training only to believe it was nothing serious.

"I did it in training two or three days after the first game. It was just a tackle, nothing untoward about it.

"It was just a run of the mill tackle but that's what set it off.

"I felt I could run it off before the last game but it just went worse so I had it sorted out as soon as possible.

"I just had a small piece of cartilage taken out. It was like rounding it off."

Happily, he has made a straightforward recovery.

"I've been training two weeks now so I suppose that could be ahead of schedule," he said. "But they always say six weeks just to be on the safe side. So it's spot on I would have thought."

And last night's return to competitive action went well, Peacock being given a good test by two experienced Bolton strikers in Dean Holdsworth and Bo Hansen.

"I was a bit disappointed with the result because I thought the young lads passed it around well," he added. "But I feel fine."

Rovers chief executive John Williams today dismissed as "nonsense" suggestions in a national tabloid newspaper that Alan Shearer was being lined up by Jack Walker to replace Brian Kidd as manager.

He said: "The whole thing is nonsense whether it's Alan Shearer, Pele or anyone else."

"Brian and Jack spoke at length and had a very positive conversation on Monday."

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