SAM Allardyce’s Blackburn Rovers travel to Cambridge United tonight for the first of seven pre-season friendlies.

After a week in a training camp in Austria, the preparations for the new Premier League campaign step up a gear with the whole squad looking to stake their claim for a starting place in the big kick-off against Manchester City.

After tonight’s trip to the Trade Recruitment Stadium, Rovers travel to Italy to face Serie A giants AS Roma on Thursday night before 45 minute games against Hajduk Split and CS Maritimo in Croatia on Saturday.

Matches at Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday follow before ending the pre-season campaign with a home clash against Hibernian and then a trip to Dundee United the weekend before the season opener.

While a handful of Rovers’ first team squad can already be confident of a starting role for the visit of Mark Hughes’ City, many of Allardyce’s squad will know the next month will prove decisive for their own chances.

Lancashire Telegraph Rovers’ reporter Andy Cryer takes a look at some of Allardyce’s men who will feel this pre-season could be ‘make or break’ for their own long-term Ewood Park careers.

>>Paul Gallagher: The home-grown striker is Rovers’ longest serving player but has yet to establish himself as a first team regular.

Many believed ‘Gally’s’ time in East Lancashire was up after spending all last campaign on loan with Championship outfit Plymouth, but Allardyce has offered him a stay of execution.

With Roque Santa Cruz and Matt Derbyshire now departed, Gallagher has started pre-season as one of only three senior strikers, and he will be desperate to prove he can be relied upon to fill the void already left this summer.

Manager Allardyce has already stated his belief the striker is a Premier League calibre player but has now challenged him to prove him right.

The 24-year-old has been at Ewood since 2002 but will know, with little over 50 appearances and just six goals to his name, the clock is ticking on his Rovers career.

Chelsea youngster Franco Di Santo has been lined up for a potential season-long loan switch once the blues return from their tour of America, and his arrival could spell the end for Gallagher.

>>Vince Grella: The jury is out among the majority of Rovers fans after their Australian midfielder’s impact was limited by injury last season.

Having arrived as Paul Ince’s ‘headline summer signing’, from Torino for around £4million, Grella largely disappointed as he struggled to stay fit to enjoy a consecutive run of games last campaign.

Former boss Ince claimed Grella’s absence was a key reason for Rovers’ early season struggles and Allardyce will hope he enjoys a more prosperous season this time around.

A regular in the Australia side who have comfortably qualified for the World Cup in South Africa next summer, Grella could yet prove a key figure this season at Ewood Park.

Tonight’s clash with Cambridge is just the start of a vital run of matches for the tough-tackling midfielder – having missed the entire pre-season last time round.

A good pre-season will set Grella up with the opportunity to show why the club splashed out so much money on him last summer but another injury-disrupted period will just add fuel to the accusations of ‘injury prone’.

There has been a lot of speculation regarding midfielders coming to Ewood this summer but Grella could soon silence those calling for fresh blood.

>>Morten Gamst Pedersen: Pedersen has been a regular down Rovers’ left since arriving from Tromso in 2004, but a poor season by his own standards last season has left him with a lot to prove.

The arrival of South African winger Elrio Van Heerden will provide him with some much needed competition though and could be the fresh challenge needed.

Pedersen was the subject of plenty of stick from the terraces last campaign but still topped the assists charts for Allardyce’s men and his long throw was a much-used weapon.

Having been a regular goal scorer in his first few seasons, the goals have dried up over the last couple of years, with his first last season not coming until May.

The Norwegian international is still expected to make the position his own for the forthcoming season but will know an impressive pre-season is needed to Van Heerden off his back.

With El-Hadji Diouf also capable of playing on the left, with a fit-again Brett Emerton a contender for the right wing spot, life won’t be so easy for Pedersen this time round.

>>Benni McCarthy: The South African striker finished last season as the club’s top goal scorer, including a prolific end to the season at Ewood Park.

McCarthy though never really hit it off with Roque Santa Cruz and seemed to thrive when the Paraguayan was out of the side.

With Allardyce still searching for a new striker, McCarthy will be desperate during this pre-season to prove himself as the club’s ‘main man again’, especially after dropping in and out of favour last campaign.

McCarthy and Jason Roberts have in the past struck up a good partnership and will hope for a more regular stint together this season.

The Bafana Bafana striker knows his own World Cup dreams are in jeopardy, having been left out of South Africa’s Confederations Cup squad, and will be desperate to enjoy a good season at Ewood Park to force himself back into the reckoning for South Africa 2010.