Brentford vs Blackburn Rovers; Sky Bet Championship
Brentford vs Blackburn Rovers. Sky Bet Championship.
Griffin ParkAttendance11,969.
Brentford 1
- L Vibe (56th minute)
- H Dean (sent off 83rd minute)
Blackburn Rovers 3
- C Mulgrew (10th minute)
- D Guthrie (16th minute)
- C Conway (83rd minute pen)
Brentford v Blackburn preview: Vital Championship clash live on Sky Sports
Sunday 7 May 2017 10:49, UK
Brentford will check on the fitness of Maxime Colin and Ryan Woods ahead of the visit of relegation-threatened Blackburn, live on Sky Sports 5 HD from 11.55am.
Defender Colin missed the 1-1 draw at Fulham last weekend with a hip problem, and midfielder Woods was absent due to a foot injury. Rico Henry will be absent again after a knee injury in training brought a premature end to his season.
Veteran midfielder Alan McCormack hopes to shake off a groin injury to make his 104th and final appearance for the Bees.
Tony Mowbray hopes Blackburn's players will fight through the pain barrier as they look to secure survival. The Rovers boss revealed "one or two" unnamed members of his squad did not train this week due to knocks but expects everyone to declare their fitness regardless.
Only Corry Evans (groin) is definitely ruled out for a Blackburn side that will start Sunday in the relegation zone on goal difference alone, with both Nottingham Forest and Birmingham able to be caught at the end depending on their results.
Connor Mahoney, back on the bench against Aston Villa following a thigh problem, may come into Mowbray's thinking while Danny Graham is likely to retain his spot having scored the winner last time out.
Opta stats
The Bees have won three of their last four home league games against Blackburn, but lost their most recent meeting in March 2016 (0-1).
Victory for Rovers would give them a league double over Brentford for the first time since the 1948/49 season.
Brentford have won their last three games on the last day of a league season, netting 10 goals and conceding once in those games.
Blackburn haven't lost any of their last five league trips to London (W1 D4), with that one win coming at Griffin Park.
Only Chris Wood (15) has scored more league goals than Brentford pair Lasse Vibe and Jota (both 12) in the Championship in 2017.
Elliott Bennett has been directly involved in three of Blackburn's last six league goals (two goals, one assist).
Prutton's prediction
For the three teams scrapping at the bottom, I've just got a feeling Blackburn will pull out a performance that keeps them up.
Brentford have been superb this season, especially when you consider they have lost key players like Scott Hogan.
But Blackburn will feel aggrieved at what happened elsewhere last week - the Huddersfield result at Birmingham particularly - and that should get them going.
A huge away win ultimately keeps them up!
DAVID PRUTTON PREDICTS: 1-2 (Sky Bet odds: 9/1)