New boss Sam Allardyce will be hoping he can invigorate Blackburn to success for the visit of Stoke.
Allardyce takes charge of Rovers for crucial six-pointer
Sam Allardyce will be hoping he can invigorate Blackburn to success when he takes charge of Rovers for the first time for the visit of Stoke.
The former Bolton and Newcastle boss was installed into the Ewood Park hot-seat this week after Paul Ince was sacked on Tuesday.
Ince's dismissal came after a dismal 11-match winless run in the league, including six successive defeats, which had left Rovers second-from-bottom and in danger of becoming detached.
Rovers looked devoid of confidence in their latest defeat - the 3-0 loss at Wigan last Saturday - and Allardyce faces the task of turning these same players into winners, just as Harry Redknapp has done at Spurs since Juande Ramos' departure.
On the plus side, he still has time on his side - although Rovers are second-from-bottom, they are only five points from safety with 21 games still to play.
Allardyce will be targeting this as a must win relegation six-pointer to get his Blackburn reign off to the perfect start.
But it will not be easy against a Stoke side who have now well and truly found their feet in the top-flight, including claiming a famous win over Arsenal.
While Stoke boss Tony Pulis will have been rueing this week's changes at Ewood Park as there would surely have been no better time to play Blackburn otherwise, he will certainly not fear the trip.
His side are unbeaten in four games in the league, including three successive draws, and have tasted defeat just once in their last eight top-flight matches, a 5-0 drubbing at Old Trafford.
This impressive run of form has taken the Potters to 13th place and two points above the drop zone - as well as opening up a seven point gap on Rovers - and Pulis will be targeting another positive result here.
Blackburn news
Allardyce has virtually a full-strength squad to choose from for his first game in charge at Ewood Park
Left-back Martin Olsson, who missed last weekend's defeat at Wigan, played for the reserves in midweek after recovering from a slight hamstring problem.
David Dunn could earn a starting berth after an impressive substitute's performance against the Latics.
But Australian midfielder Vince Grella (hamstring) remains sidelined.
Stoke news
Pulis will decide on the fitness of five of his players before finalising preparations for the trip.
Rory Delap (shoulder), Andy Griffin (knee), Salif Diao (calf), Leon Cort (groin) and Dave Kitson, who is close to returning from a knee injury, will all take late tests.
Defender Ryan Shawcross has recovered from a back problem to return to contention, but winger Liam Lawrence has been ruled out by Pulis despite a big improvement to his long-term ankle injury.
Striker Mamady Sidibe, carried off on a stretcher with a knee injury against Fulham last Saturday, is out of Stoke's Christmas programme, but should return early in the New Year.
Possible starting XIs:
Blackburn: Robinson, Ooijer, Warnock, Nelsen, Samba, Emerton, Andrews, Pedersen, Dunn, Santa Cruz, Roberts.
Stoke: Sorensen, Griffin, Abdoulaye Faye, Higginbotham, Cort, Delap, Olofinjana, Diao, Amdy Faye, Fuller, Kitson.
