Ruud set to return

Ruud van Nistelrooy is expected to step out of the spotlight and onto the Ewood Park pitch tomorrow.

The prolific Manchester United striker has been the subject of intense transfer speculation this week, all of which has been denied by the Old Trafford hierarchy, but Sir Alex Ferguson’s most immediate concern is getting van Nistelrooy over the thigh strain that ruled him out of last weekend’s defeat to Liverpool.

Skipper Roy Keane is hoping to be fit after being forced to pull out of his Ireland comeback with a hamstring injury, while Quinton Fortune (knee) has long since been ruled out for the season.

PROVISIONAL SQUAD: Howard, Carroll, G Neville, P Neville, Brown, Silvestre, O’Shea, Fletcher, Butt, Scholes, Ronaldo, Keane, Djemba-Djemba, Giggs, Saha, Van Nistelrooy, Kleberson, Solskjaer, Forlan, Bellion.