RUDY Gestede is being lined up to make his first public appearance of pre-season in Blackburn Rovers’ double header against Tranmere Rovers and Oldham Athletic.

Rovers travel to Prenton Park to face non-league side Tranmere tonight at 7.45pm before making the trip to Boundary Park to take on League One Oldham tomorrow at 3pm.

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Boss Gary Bowyer intends to divide his senior players between the two games to allow as many as possible to get 90 minutes under their belt for the first time in pre-season and indicated that Gestede is due to feature in one of the matches.

The striker has been heavily linked with a move away from Ewood Park this summer, with Premier League sides Watford and Norwich City understood to have made their interest known, and missed Rovers’ opening pre-season game at Accrington Stanley because of a knee injury.

Gestede, who is keen to move to the top flight, then stayed at home when Rovers travelled to Portugal for a week-long training camp but returned to action on Tuesday when he scored twice in a behind closed doors game against Crewe Alexandra.

“The big man is back in training now and getting game time, so we’re looking forward to him featuring at the weekend,” Bowyer said.

The manager was pleased with his players’ fitness in the midweek friendly at Rochdale - even though the League One club secured a 2-1 victory, bagging a winner after all of Rovers’ senior squad members had been substituted for the final 15 minutes.

Rovers start their Championship campaign against Wolves at Ewood Park on August 8 and have two friendlies remaining – at Bury on Tuesday and at home to Wigan Athletic on August 1 – after the matches against Tranmere and Oldham.

“It’s about getting minutes in and once we’ve completed these games this weekend then we’re looking at the nitty-gritty leading into the Wolves game in just over two weeks,” Bowyer said.

“The plan will be for people to get 90 minutes, they’ve had 75 and now we want them to get 90 minutes under their belt this weekend.

“That’s why we want both games. It leaves us a bit stretched but we want everybody to have had the minutes and that’s the important thing.

“It was a great work-out against Rochdale. We were pleased with periods of the game and what we’d worked on a little bit in Portugal.

“It was great for the last 15 minutes for the young ones to get on and experience that type of night as well.

“We’re pleased with how we’re progressing, we look like we’re getting there.”

Holding midfielder Lee Williamson has never scored a competitive goal for Rovers but netted at Rochdale.

“He keeps telling us that he scored I think it was 13 in one season at Sheffield United, but we don’t believe him!” Bowyer joked.

Tonight’s opponents Tranmere, League Cup finalists in 2000, were surprisingly relegated from the Football League last season.

Tomorrow’s match at Oldham could potentially see a return to Boundary Park for Chris Taylor, providing he overcomes the groin injury that ruled him out in midweek.

Jason Lowe also had a loan spell with the Latics in 2011 and made his first appearance since February in midweek, playing 45 minutes on his return from a stress fracture of the foot.

“He’s just easing back in,” Bowyer said.

“He’s going to have aches and pains from getting back in and getting used to playing again, but we’re delighted for every minute he gets in now.

“The plan was always for Lowey to play 45 on Tuesday.”