Kean still in there fighting to survive

IF the fight to beat relegation wasn’t enough for Steve Kean, it would seem he has to deal with scraps inside his own dressing room as well.

The Blackburn manager raged at his players after their limp loss at Swansea on Saturday — he was perhaps unaware that he could be heard in the press room next door — and indicated that further ructions lay ahead when discussing the mysterious absence of Gael Givet from his matchday squad.

The defender has not played for Blackburn since being sent off against Arsenal on February 4 but was at the Liberty Stadium, warming up with the substitutes before the game and at half-time.

Sportsmail understands Givet was keen to play, but Kean, angered by the 30-year-old’s desire to leave, insisted his state of mind was ‘not right’ before dismissing yesterday’s reports that he refused to play.

Despite a fifth straight defeat and clashes of temper — Grant Hanley fumed at Steven Nzonzi after the latter’s uninterested reaction to a misplaced pass — Kean still believes Blackburn can stay up if they take seven points from their remaining four games. To do so, they must overcome injuries to Hanley (ankle), Yakubu (knee) and Junior Hoilett (hamstring).

SWANSEA (4-2-3-1): Vorm 6; Rangel 6 (Monk 89min), Caulker 6, Williams 7, Taylor 6; Britton 6 (Gower 70, 6), Allen 7; Dyer 8, Sigurdsson 8, Sinclair 7; Graham 7 (Lita 85).

Subs not used: Tremmel, Mceachran, Routledge, Moore. Scorers: Sigurdsson 37, Dyer 43, Dann 63 (og).

BLACKBURN (4-5-1): Robinson 6; Orr 6, Dann 5, Hanley 5 (Formica 46, 6), Lowe 6; Hoilett 6 (Modeste 55, 6), Pedersen 6, Dunn 7, Nzonzi 6, Marcus Olsson 6; Yakubu 5 (Goodwillie 61, 5).

Subs not used: Kean, Rochina, Martin Olsson, Petrovic. Booked: Hoilett, Formica.

Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson. Referee: Mark Clattenburg 5.

Attendance: 18,985.