GRAEME Le Saux is set to play his first competitive game of football since December 16 for Blackburn Rovers Reserves against Birmingham City at Ewood tonight.

And Jason Wilcox came through his first game for the A team on Saturday after recovering from knee surgery.

England left back Le Saux, sorely missed by both club and country since picking up an horrific ankle injury, has worked tremendously hard to get back in shape.

And Rovers supporters will be delighted to see him and Wilcox making genuine progress.

So too will manager Ray Harford, who has been badly hit by the absence of his two first-choice left-side players.

Le Saux recently had the lift of training with the England squad and his inclusion tonight is confirmation that he is ahead of the schedule that many people thought might take him until nearer Christmas before he could think about a serious comeback.

Wilcox is expected to join the senior squad for tomorrow's Coca-Cola Cup tie at Brentford, but it's highly unlikely he will start the game. The squad for tonight's Pontin's League Premier Division game (kick-off 7pm) is: McCrone, Worrell, Le Saux, Marker, Coughlan, Broomes, Gill, Holmes, Beattie, Gudmundsson, Duff, Morgan, Whealing, Hope.

Meanwhile, chairman Robert Coar today dismissed suggestions that Rovers are one of a handful of Premier League outfits leading the drive to establish a big club-small club nursery set-up in English football.

Exploratory talks over "feeder clubs" are due to be held tomorrow between Football League representatives and Premier League chief Rick Parry.

And Rovers have been mentioned as one of those interested in taking on a smaller side from the lower divisions as a sort of nursery club.

But Mr Coar today denied there had been any moves in that direction. PFA chief Gordon Taylor has also issued warnings about the idea.

Clearly, the scheme is something that has yet to get off the drawing board, though Lincoln chairman John Reames - one of those due to meet Mr Parry - said the move was "inevitable".

Mr Coar countered: "This is one of those things which comes up in talks from time to time but I don't think I've heard it mentioned for 12 months," he said.

"We certainly haven't done anything about it. No-one knows what will happen in the game over the next few years but this is not something we are actively pursuing in any shape or form."

The initiative seems to be led by the Football League clubs and, if it ever came about, would need careful handling.

What happens, for example, in the cup competitions if the two linked clubs are drawn together? For that reason the FA might well be against it.

Alan Shearer sprang to Rovers' defence after helping to put them on the bottom of the Premiership at the weekend.

"They need time," said Shearer. "But they have the quality of players, I am sure they will come good."

And he backed boss Ray Harford, saying he was the man for the job: "Without a doubt. If you ask any of the players, they love and respect him which is half the battle won.

"He's a tremendous coach and, along with Derek Fazackerley and Tony Parkes, will get it right. There's no doubt."

Reports in Scotland today said that Celtic were ready to make a £1.75 million move for Ewood midfielder Billy McKinlay.

Harford said there had not been any Celtic contact with Ewood but acknowledged that several Scottish clubs would certainly have noticed that the international had not been in the team.

Goals from Keith Brown and James Thomas gave Rovers A team a 2-0 win over Wrexham. The B team lost 1-0 at Tranmere.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.