SAM Allardyce hopes there will be a ‘surprise package’ to emerge from his Rovers squad this pre-season as he looks to limit his need for transfer market bargains.

Blackburn Rovers begin their pre-season campaign with a trip to Conference outfit Cambridge United tonight with boss Allardyce hoping he already has an undiscovered gem in his ranks.

And Allardyce challenged his squad to make their mark.

He said: “I am looking forward to seeing if anyone will emerge from last year and do better.

"Of course the players who did such a fantastic job have to improve as well.

“I hope there is one in the pack that emerges this pre-season and makes his mark and really comes forward and gets in the squad, if not the team, on a regular basis.

“That would be very nice and it would save me a lot of headaches and a lot of problems for going out in the transfer market, if the players internally actually get the bit between their teeth or the penny drops.”

Allardyce’s four summer signings, Steven N’Zonzi, Gael Givet, Lars Jacobsen and Elrio Van Heerden, are all expected to feature tonight before the squad travels to Italy tomorrow for Thursday’s friendly with AS Roma.

The Rovers boss though has warned fans not to expect too much too soon from the new boys, after admitting they won’t all be first-team regulars straight away.

“Most of them won’t be starting,” he said.

“Lars, and Gael of course, would probably be the only one because he has already experienced in the Premier League with Everton, even though it was limited with injury.

“Lars is the one who will be coming straight in but the rest will be fed in very slowly once they have adjusted to the lifestyle as well as getting used to the Premier League.