RAY Harford said it all in one sentence: "We need new players."

And Blackburn Rovers' problems have increased with goalkeeper Tim Flowers needing a minor operation to sort out a nagging elbow injury, aggravated at Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Just to make things worse, number three keeper Shay Given broke an arm playing for the A team at the weekend!

Flowers, who had surgery yesterday, will miss Wednesday's Coca-Cola Cup tie against Swindon and has declared himself unavailable for England next week.

But he hopes to be back for the next Premiership game against Southampton.

Rovers, meanwhile, are on a starter for 10 - that's just about how many days they have to sort out a major transfusion of new blood in time for the Southampton game. I believe they will. But if you read only half the speculation, they are about to spend some £18.5 million on five players - including Matt Le Tissier for £10 million!

The ideal signings Harford would like to make may not be available but he is so short of numbers, action is urgently needed.

A move for some of the promising but inexperienced Crewe kids - tipped in some quarters - would hardly help the present situation and looks a non-starter at the moment. But Neil Heaney, watched recently for Southampton, or Mark Kennedy - Rovers were pipped by Liverpool for him - could be more likely.

And Manchester City manager Alan Ball could well be reconsidering his position over the need to sell to rebuild, with Garry Flitcroft a prize asset at Maine Road.

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