BLACKBURN Rovers chief executive John Williams today said the club are spoilt for choice as they search for a new manager.

Rovers have now received close to 30 'applications' for the post which was vacated by Graeme Souness earlier this week.

And everyone the club was hoping would indicate their interest, has done - meaning an appointment could be made quicker than first expected.

Williams has now begun the task of sifting through the applicants and the board will meet later this week to decide on suitable candidates.

But the club still stress they will not be rushed into making any rash decisions.

"We're very pleased with how things are going," said Williams.

"There's been a lot more interest in the last 24 hours and they're all quality people, too.

"We are probably done now in terms of getting all the names in, although that doesn't mean to say we'll rule out any late enquiries.

"But we know who the runners and riders are and we can now start working on our selection process."

Williams is refusing to give anything away in regard to the identity of the leading candidates but a host of top managers from at home and abroad have put their names forward, including former Holland and Rangers boss Dick Advocaat.

As I understand it, Advocaat contacted one of the players at Rovers to sound him out about the post before throwing his hat in the ring.

But Wales boss Mark Hughes remains the strong favourite with the bookies following his non-committal response to speculation yesterday.

Hughes said: "It is just more speculation.

"Whenever a vacancy comes up immediately people try to link former players of the club or managers who are out of work, and even in work.

"There has been speculation about me for two years or so. Every time a new position becomes free, people will link or try to make a link with managers and ex-players.

"And as an ex-Blackburn player I have been linked. That is the way it works.

"I have lived with the speculation and nothing has changed, so I am still here.

"I don't deal in ifs and maybes and I am just concentrating on the Ireland game.

"I don't anticipate that they will call. But Blackburn is a good club and a very good job for whoever gets it."

Meanwhile, Rovers could potentially have five players in international action in tonight's World Cup qualifiers.

Barry Ferguson is expected to lead out Scotland at Hampden Park in their opening Group 5 clash against Slovenia, having captained the side in their 1-1 draw in Spain last Friday night, abandoned after an hour due to a floodlight failure.

Paul Dickov could also feature for the Scots, after recovering from a knock that kept him out of the friendly in Valencia.

In the same group, Morten Gamst Pedersen's Norway face Belarus in Oslo, hoping to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat in Italy on Saturday, when Pedersen's involvement was limited to the last five minutes.

Vratislav Gresko lines up for Slovakia as they play Liechtenstein in Group 3, and will hope that his country can build on their impressive 1-1 draw in Russia at the weekend, in which the Ewood utility man played the full 90 minutes.

However Peter Enckelman will be hoping for a change to his customary role as Finland's third-choice goalkeeper after failing to make the bench in their 3-0 victory over Andorra - the Finns make the long trip to Armenia for the next step of their qualification bid.