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Teams

• Blackburn Rovers

Players

• Jason Roberts

Blackburn manager Mark Hughes has hit back at suggestions Rovers will be a soft touch for relegation-threatened Fulham on Saturday.

Hughes's team visit Craven Cottage on Saturday and all the talk pre-match has been about Fulham's need for three points.

Hughes insists his team also have an incentive to challenge for European football again next season and the Welshman has been angered by ill-informed comments to the contrary.

"You are talking about people based in London who probably don't appreciate what we do up here so it doesn't surprise me at all. If we were a little bit sensitive we could take exception," said Hughes.

"Possibly they view a game against Blackburn as an easier game than some others, but we will have something to say about that. We are playing well at the moment and we have got things to play for as well."

Rovers beat Watford 3-1 on Wednesday and Hughes has not given up hope of clinching seventh place and the final berth for Uefa Cup qualification.

"It is very important we finish with a flourish and win all the games we have got left. We still have a real desire to get into Europe again and this is a really big game for us," said Hughes.

"If we hadn't beaten Watford we wouldn't have stood any chance whatsoever but now we are going back in against a side who are struggling for a bit of confidence and if we can get back-to-back wins it sets us up nicely."

The Blackburn boss also paid tribute to the in-form Jason Roberts, who will once again partner Benni McCarthy in attack against The Cottagers.

The former Wigan striker, laid low for much of the season through injury, scored his first goal for the club in the FA Cup against Chelsea last Sunday and followed that up with another start and another goal against Watford in the week.

"Jason came here with high hopes of making an immediate impact but he wasn't able to do that and because of his injury he missed a large chunk of the season," said Hughes.

"He has had to bide his time but in the last couple of weeks I have seen real signs that Jason's game is back to the level I knew it could be. I have started to introduce him and in fairness he has grabbed his chance."