Blackburn Rovers’ boardroom changes continue after the departure from Ewood Park of long-serving, popular chairman John Williams last week.

Rovers were also linked with another ‘marquee’ signing this week in the Brazilian shape of striker Luis Fabiano.

However, Kean warned that the defence was his biggest headache, after a 4-3 reverse at struggling Wigan last Saturday knocked them back into the EPL’s mid-table morass.

So it was welcome news that former club captain, centre-half Christopher Samba, recently agreed a contract extension and fellow-defender Phil Jones could be back from serious knee trouble earlier than expected.

Williams resigned as executive chairman after 14 years at Blackburn. He had appeared reluctant to stay at the club after manager Sam Allardyce’s December dismissal.

 

And in a statement on Rovers’ website, he didn’t entirely mask his disaffection, saying: “There is a new order, a new way of doing things and I believe the time is right for me now to move on.”

Samba, however, is staying put. He too appeared reluctant to stay at Rovers in December. But the 26-year-old Congolese defender is now contracted to the club until 2015.

Jones suffered a torn cartilage in Kean’s first match as manager, in December and looked to be out for the season. But Kean said this week: “He’s coming on quicker than we thought…hopefully in three or four weeks, he’ll be available for selection.

This coming Saturday, Rovers host Newcastle United in the EPL, fresh from their thrilling four-goal comeback against high-flying Arsenal last Saturday.