Kean tipping Blackburn exodus

Blackburn Rovers boss Steve Kean says the club’s best players are likely to leave following their relegation from the Premier League.

The club’s front pairing of Yakubu and Junior Hoilett are expected to attract transfer attention with the Nigerian having done his best to keep Rovers up, contributing 17 goals with the help of breakthrough performances from the Canadian.

“We know there is going to be interest, as there always is at times like this when a team gets relegated,” Kean told reporters. “You have other clubs that will try to pick off the best of your players.

“There is going to be that interest, but we are attempting to keep the majority of the squad together and build a squad that can bounce back.

“We know that we have to bounce back quick like clubs have done in the past.

“If you can keep the majority of your squad, you can probably only keep that for one or two seasons and if you don’t get back up as quickly as possible, then your players are attracted to playing back at the highest level.

“We want to make sure it is us back playing at the highest level.”

After a turbulent week for the club, which has seen deputy chief executive Paul Hunt depart, Kean has to focus on his side’s final game of the season against Chelsea, with preparations being hit with numerous injuries.

The Rovers boss revealed Bradley Orr will miss out after surgery on his Achilles tendon, with doubts also raised over Paul Robinson, who is rated as ‘touch and go’ following an ankle injury, and David Dunn, who limped off in the first half of Monday night’s defeat to Wigan.