NEW Blackburn Rovers manager Mark Hughes went into battle with Portsmouth today insisting he's starting his new job with an 'open mind'.

The former Manchester United star will take charge of his first game as a Premiership manager when Pompey visit Ewood Park.

And Hughes has told all his players that everyone starts with a clean slate as he prepares to usher in a new era at Rovers.

Hughes's message will be music to the ears of people like Andy Todd, Jay McEveley and Matt Jansen, who all found themselves frozen out in the latter stages of Graeme Souness's regime.

Jansen was even hoping to make the bench for this afternoon's game against Harry Redknapp's side.

But Todd may have to wait a little longer for his chance to impress the new boss as a knee injury is likely to keep him sidelined for at least the next four weeks.

Nevertheless, Hughes's arrival has given some of the players on the fringes fresh encouragement and the Welshman has vowed not to pre-judge anyone in the squad he has inherited from Souness.

"The squad has got great quality and I will be consulting with Tony Parkes," said Hughes, in reference to his team selection for this afternoon's game.

"Obviously, I will have my own ideas about players and I expect that there will be players arriving.

"We don't have the option of strengthening the squad at this moment in time, but we will work with the players that we have and ensure that we get the best out of them.

"It's a new group of players and I haven't worked with them before in a coaching sense.

"Obviously, I know a few of them from my playing days but essentially it's a new group and myself and the coaching staff are looking forward to working with them."

Hughes's installation has already acted as a pick-me-up for Jansen in particular.

The 26-year-old has yet to feature for Rovers in the Premiership this season but the return of his former strike partner has given him fresh hope in his quest to reclaim a first team place.

"If anyone knows what I am capable of on the pitch, it's Mark Hughes," said Jansen.

"We played and trained together as strikers during that great promotion season so I can only hope for the best.

"His arrival has naturally given me a boost."

In the meantime, while Hughes was set to take centre stage at Ewood today, one man was due to slip quietly back into the shadows.

Tony Parkes, who did a sterling job in the hot-seat whilst Rovers searched for a new manager, is due to resume his role with the reserve team.

But Jim Smith, the former Blackburn manager who's now Harry Redknapp's assistant at Portsmouth, insists the Ewood legend deserves a knighthood for his continued services to Rovers.

"Tony Parkes was my captain when I was the Blackburn manager and, as everyone knows, he's still there," said Smith.

"He's been there since and never left. He should get a knighthood."