CHRIS Taylor is desperate to play more of a part in Blackburn Rovers’ promotion push.

But the midfielder admits he would be happy to remain on the bench if it means Rovers continue their unbeaten ways.

Taylor has been restricted to just one start and five substitute appearances in the Championship so far this season.

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But with resurgent Rovers on a run of eight games without defeat the team player accepts he can have no cause for complaint.

Taylor said: “We have kept reasonably the same team for a while now but it’s because the lads are doing so well.

“We’re eight games unbeaten and it’s just nothing but positive at the minute. We’re putting in some good performances and getting some good results.

“The lads in the wings are champing at the bit but we’ve just got to bide our time and if we get a chance then try and take it.

“There’s no point lying, sometimes it does get you down because you just want to play.

“For the lads not playing we’ve just got to train as hard as we can and wait for our chance but if the lads in the team keep performing then I don’t know when that will come.

“But let’s hope that continues. If we are not getting a chance that will mean the lads in the team are doing well and getting us higher up the table.

“And that’s the main aim, collectively. We all want top six at the end of the season, no matter who is playing.”

With Tom Cairney suspended for Saturday’s trip to third-placed Middlesbrough Taylor could get his opportunity to start his first league match since September 30.

He said: “Tom has been a big player for us but he will be missing Saturday so someone has got to fill in whether it’s me, Craig Conway or Ryan Tunnicliffe.

“That’s up to the gaffer but whoever it is has got to be ready for the call.

“It’s a massive game against Middlesbrough and if we were to get a good result we would leapfrog them, possibly to second.”

Taylor shook off the ring rust by captaining a youthful Rovers side in Tuesday’s Lancashire FA Senior Cup quarter-final tie against Manchester United.

United’s line-up contained first-team stars Jonny Evans, Ander Herrera and Adnan Januzaj and ran out comfortable 5-0 winners.

“It was tough, make no bones about, they had a lot of good players out there,” said Taylor, who was joined in the Rovers starting line-up by fellow first-teamers Adam Henley, Chris Brown and Yann Songo’o.

“It was hard to get the ball off them at times but we gave one or two sloppy goals away and they scored one or two really good goals.

“But it was a good learning curve for the young lads and, for the senior lads, it was good for our fitness because we are not playing that many games at the minute.”

Striker Brown lasted 51 minutes of his first competitive appearance for the club and he will be assessed to see if he has any chance of taking his place in the squad for Middlesbrough.

The window for loan signings shuts at 5pm this afternoon and Rovers boss Bowyer spent yesterday continuing to explore the possibility of bolstering his ranks.