BLACKBURN Rovers are lining up a prestigious pre-season friendly with Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon.

The club have opened talks with the former European Cup winners and are looking into the possibility of staging the game at Ewood Park on Wednesday, August 4.

A meeting with Lisbon would be the highlight of a pre-season programme with a real international feel to it.

Rovers will be touring Germany from June 14-25 and also hope to jet off for another overseas friendly after the Sporting game.

Chief executive John Williams said: "It's not confirmed but we are working on it and we've exchanged conversation with Sporting Lisbon, so it's a strong possibility.

"We think it's a good game and carries a lot of prestige for us."

Rovers boss Graeme Souness, who himself had a spell in Portugal as manager of Benfica, is relishing the prospect of taking on his former rivals from Lisbon.

"It will be an attractive game for the supporters, with some very good players involved," said Souness.

Sporting Lisbon won their domestic league and cup double two years ago, but had to settle for third place in the Portuguese League last season.

They missed out on a Champions League place when they surrendered second place to Benfica, who beat them with two games of the campaign left.

On the back of that relative failure, coach Fernando Santos was sacked last week and the upheaval will continue as Portugal's World Cup star Joao Pinto is also set to leave the club.

But Rovers fans could be treated to the skills of players like Rui Jorge, who will be part of his home country's Euro 2004 team, and striker Liedson.

The Brazilian was Sporting's top scorer in the league last season with 15 goals.