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Teams

• Blackburn Rovers

Players

• Steve Kean
• Christopher Samba

Steve Kean is confident that Christopher Samba wants to stay at Blackburn Rovers.

The Congo international was stripped of the captaincy after expressing his discontent at the sacking of Sam Allardyce and reportedly requested a transfer away from Ewood Park.

The player failed a fitness test prior to Tuesday afternoon’s game against West Bromwich Albion, a game which Blackburn won 3-1, but Kean also believes that Samba will be fit to face Sunderland on New Years Day.

Despite the defender expressing a desire to leave the Lancashire club, Kean now feels that the player has changed his mind and is likely to stay with Blackburn beyond the January transfer window.

“I’m convinced he will be fit for Sunderland [on January 1] and I am delighted to say he does not want to hand in that transfer request,” he told reporters.

“He is happy to see how things develop in the transfer market and he is starting to think about staying at the club, which is a bonus for us.

“He pushed himself for 35-40 minutes [in an earlier fitness test] but he still felt his ankle. He was gutted [not to play against West Brom].

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