Blackburn boss Mark Hughes insists striker Matt Derbyshire still has a major role to play at Ewood Park.Derbyshire has started just four league games this season as he competes with Roque Santa Cruz, Jason Roberts and Benni McCarthy for a forward berth, and has not seen any action at all for almost a month.

But Hughes, whose side visit Portsmouth in the Premier League on Sunday, puts that down to an injury problem and tactical necessity rather than doubts about the ability of the England under-21 international to build on an impressive start to his first-team career.

Hughes said: "He is struggling with injury. He is booked in for a double-hernia operation as soon as the season ends and he may well go in sooner than that.

"Matty is an explosive player and a great impact player for us and in recent weeks, given the opposition we have gone up against, I've erred on the side of safety somewhat with putting an extra defensive-minded player (on the bench), rather than two attacking-minded players.

"That's the thinking behind it. It's not the fact that I'm unhappy with his performance or that I think he hasn't got a big part to play, because he certainly has."

Hughes is also predicting a bright future for midfielder Johann Vogel following his introduction to English football.

The Switzerland international, 31, joined Rovers as a free agent from Real Betis during the January transfer window and Hughes believes he will blossom at Ewood Park next season.

"He will get stronger every time he plays now," said the Rovers boss. "He's come here after being out for 10 months with no football whatsoever.

"I have thrown him in right at the deep end against Spurs, Liverpool and Manchester United and every game we've seen him getting stronger.

"So we have real confidence in the fact that once he has had a pre-season with us and the benefit of having played the games he has to give him a taster of what it's actually like in the Premier League, the next year he will be an outstanding player for us."

The decision to blood Vogel means that fans' favourite Tugay has had to take a back seat in recent weeks but Hughes does not believe the veteran midfielder, who is out of contract in the summer, has played his last game for the club.

"I'm sure we'll see Tugay before the end of the season," Hughes said.

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