Rovers return to action this afternoon when Southampton make the trip to Ewood Park in the Sky Bet Championship.
It’s an opportunity for back-to-back victories for John Eustace’s men following the emphatic 5-1 triumph at Sunderland last time out, with Rovers hoping for the points to edge the team ever closer to safety in the second tier.
As for the visitors, they come into the contest on the back of a late 3-2 defeat at Ipswich Town, with Jeremy Sarmiento’s strike in the seventh minute of added time securing a crucial victory for Kieran McKenna’s hosts at Portman Road in the five-goal thriller on Monday.
One ex-Saint is expected to play a part for the hosts this afternoon, with Sam Gallagher hoping to keep his place and take on his old employers for the first time since departing for Rovers in the summer of 2020.Gallagher joined Southampton as a 16-year-old from Plymouth Argyle and appeared 26 times in all competitions for the Hampshire side’s first-team before moving north.
Eustace has a doubt over Harry Pickering for the game after the left-back hobbled off at Sunderland on Monday, with Ben Chrisene looking likeliest to replace the former Crewe Alexandra man should he not be fit.Harry Leonard, Arnor Sigurdsson and John Fleck each remain longer-term absentees, with the trio out for the remainder of the campaign.There are expected to be three ex-Rovers returning to Ewood Park today, with Adam Armstrong, Joe Rothwell and Taylor Harwood-Bellis all fit and available to be part of the squad.
