Blackburn Rovers host Watford in the Championship on Saturday night as they look to turn around their dismal run of form.
Blackburn Rovers will be looking for a first win in six Championship games when they face Watford. The mood is low at Ewood Park as fears of relegation to League One grow stronger.
Valerien Ismael took an injury-hit side to Swansea City in midweek and lost 3-1. The boss pointed out that the absence of players is the main reason for their dismal form, but the pressure on the Frenchman is increasing after they fell into the bottom three.
Their last championship win came on 20 December in a 2-0 home win against Millwall. Those are the only three points in the competition since November 21.
Watford, meanwhile, took the lead against Blackburn Rovers to finish one point outside the play-offs in 7th place. After losing to Millwall last weekend, they drew 1-1 at home to Portsmouth on Wednesday evening.
Blackburn Rovers team news
Injuries have wreaked havoc on the Blackburn Rovers team of late, apart from Ismael confirmed a handful of welcome wins for the Watford game.
Todd Cantwell is available again after concussion and Ryan Alebiosu is fit for selection for the first time since returning from AFCON duty with Nigeria. Ryoya Morishita and Lewis Miller will also be back in the squad after injuries.
There will also be better news next week as Andri Gudjohsen and Kristi Montgomery are expected to be fit. Hayden Carter built up his fitness with a 45-minute performance for the U21s.
Harry Pickering had a slight muscle problem, but is fit again. Aynsley Pears has had surgery on a wrist problem after forfeiting the pain to cover for Balazs Toth.
Still sidelined are Scott Wharton, Ryan Hedges, Sidnei Tavares, Matty Litherland and Augustus Kargbo.
Predicted XI
(3-4-1-2)
Toth; Miller, McLoughlin, Cashin; Gardner-Hickman, Tronstad, Baradji, Powell; Cantwell; Jorgensen, Ohashi
Toth will remain in goal in Pears’ absence and expects the backline to create an opportunity for him. Tom Atcheson and Connor O’Riordan started at Swansea City, but a fit Miller and loan signing Eira Cash should come in the back three.
Nigerian star Alebiosu will start on the bench, so Taylor Gardner-Hickman continues on the right for Blackburn Rovers, while Brandon Powell retains his place on the left. The promising youngster assisted Mathias Jorgensen on the goal of the week and is better suited to the full-back role than Pickering and Yuri Ribeiro.
Todd Cantwell’s Blackburn Rovers stats
Captain Cantwell should be back, and he will operate behind a front two of Yuki Ohashi and Jorgensen.
The returning players believe Ismael should have depth to lean on off the bench. Alebiosu, Morishita, Adam Forshaw, Dion De Neve, Axel Henriksson and Nathan Dlamini will be hoping to be called upon.
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