MATT Jansen could go face to face with his old Blackburn team-mates at Ewood Park on Saturday after putting his future in the hands of footballs most famous healer.

The 28-year-old striker left Rovers on Wednesday, desperate to revive his once-glittering career, and immediately put his faith in Sam Allardyce.

With no more ado, the Wanderers boss named him in his squad for the Ewood derby game.

The task of getting Jansen back to the player he was before he suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle accident in Italy in the summer of 2002 is the latest challenge to Allardyces talent for catching fallen stars and getting them to shine again. But he knows it could pay rich dividends if he can repeat the success he has enjoyed in the past with Bruno N'Gotty, Ivan Campo, Youri Djorkaeff and Kevin Davies.

"Matt has great potential, even though he hasnt been involved with Blackburn of late," the Wanderers boss said.

"I do believe he has the right qualities to resurrect his career here at the Reebok.

"I am looking forward to working with him between now and the end of the season, and I hope he can recapture the form that made him one of Englands best strikers a couple of seasons ago."

Jensen, who cost Blackburn £4.1 million when he moved to Ewood from Crystal Palace in 1999, was on the verge of the England squad for the 2002 World Cup, when his skill and goal power made him one of the most formidable strikers and put him in the £10 million price category.

But his career was thrown into turmoil when he crashed his motorcycle on holiday in Italy that summer.

He missed the first five months of that season and, when he recovered, he opted for a loan spell at Coventry to get back to first team action.

He appeared to be on his way out at Ewood, when Graeme Souness told him he did not have a future at the club. But, when Mark Hughes arrived, he started with a clean slate.

He impressed the new Rovers boss by scoring in his first game in charge but, for all his efforts, Jansen was unable to regain a regular first team place and has been restricted to just five senior appearances this season his only start coming against Wanderers in the Reebok derby in September and most recent apeparance being as a late replacement for David Bentley in the 3-2 home win against West Ham on December 10.

When he was released from his Blackburn contract on Wednesday, the Carlisle-born striker paid tribute to the Ewood fans.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Rovers and I am disappointed it has now ended," he said.

"It is probably true to say that, without the support of the club's fans, I might have decided to hang up my boots a long time ago.

"Yet I also have to think about my own future. I accept the main objective of the manager is to win games and earn points. I can't and don't expect him to compromise in that objective.

"I have been fit all season and consider my form in training has been good. I need and want to play first team football and that is the only reason I have decided to leave."

Jansen, who was also linked with Manchester City and Everton, signed a contract until the end of the season yesterday when he became Wanderers second signing of the transfer window.

Ali-Al-Habsi, the Oman international goalkeeper, completed his move from the Norwegian club, Lyn, last week.