Blackburn vs Leeds preview: Championship clash live on Sky Sports red button
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Friday 19 October 2018 11:34, UK
Blackburn skipper Charlie Mulgrew is expected to be fit for the home game against Leeds on Saturday lunchtime.
Mulgrew was withdrawn from Scotland's Nations League defeat to Israel last week due to a tight hamstring but has returned to full training with Rovers and should feature.
Fellow defender Ryan Nyambe is hoping to return to contention next week after being sidelined with a similar problem since the end of September. Summer signing Jacob Davenport is edging closer to his first appearance for the club after two separate injuries since joining from Manchester City.
Leeds trio Kemar Roofe, Pablo Hernandez and Gaetano Berardi will all return to contention. Striker Roofe (calf), midfielder Hernandez (hamstring) and defender Berardi (knee) are expected to be included in Marcelo Bielsa's squad having been out since the end of August.
Winger Jack Harrison will play no part due to a muscle injury sustained in training during the international break. Luke Ayling sits out a one-game ban and fellow defender Barry Douglas remains sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
Opta stats
Between November 2013 and October 2015, Blackburn won five consecutive matches against Leeds (all Championship games) - since then, they've lost four in a row in all competitions.
Leeds have won their last two league visits to Blackburn by the same score (2-1) - in fact, their last four league wins at Ewood Park have all been 2-1 victories.
This is the fourth consecutive league fixture between Blackburn and Leeds at Ewood Park in which both teams have a different manager in charge - November 2014 (Bowyer and Redfearn), March 2016 (Lambert and Evans), February 2017 (Coyle and Monk) and this game (Mowbray and Bielsa).
Leeds United are the only Championship side still unbeaten away from home this season (P6 W3 D3 L0) - they last remained unbeaten in their first seven away league games in a season in 1998-99 in the Premier League.
Bradley Dack has had a hand in 16 goals in his last 12 matches for Blackburn in all competitions (10 goals, 6 assists).
Since the start of last season, Leeds have a 51% win percentage when Luke Ayling features, compared to just 16% when he doesn't - the Whites have lost 10 of the 39 games he's played, compared to 11 of the 19 when he hasn't.
Prutton's prediction
It's so tight in the packing chasing the play-offs right now that a couple of wins or defeats on the spin could have any team up in the top six or down in the bottom half. Blackburn have impressed at times this season but too many draws and a lack of back-to-back wins have them bouncing around in mid-table.
Leeds' injury problems appear to have slightly caught up with them and they start the weekend outside of the top two for the first time this season. If Kemar Roofe and Pablo Hernandez return then that would be massive for them, and if they do I think they'll sneak a win at Ewood Park.
David Prutton predicts: 1-2 (8/1 with Sky Bet)
