Football News
Blackburn v Wolves: Match Preview
Manager Sam Allardyce will be targeting this Saturday's clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers as a chance for his Blackburn Rovers team to get their season up-and-running. Rovers took just one point from a possible nine in August to leave them languishing in the bottom three as the Premier League season gathers pace and Allardyce will be desperate for a run which will claw them away from a potential dogfight on the bottom rungs of the league ladder.
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy will be content with his side on their return to the Premier League having competed well in their four fixtures, winning four points.
On the evidence of August, Wolves need to improve their form at Molineux but could prove a difficult entity to breakdown away from home after admirable performances at Manchester City and Wigan Athletic.
McCarthy knows his side have nothing to lose and everything to gain on their travels and the open-minded attacking nature of his young line-up will guarantee opportunities throughout the 90 minutes.
Both managers will be pleased that there was an international break so early in the season due to minor injury crises.
Blackburn will be hopeful that frontline attackers Benni McCarthy (ankle) and El-Hadji Diouf (groin strain) will make full recoveries to line up at Ewood Park on Saturday, while fellow striker Franco Di Santo will face a fitness test over a hamstring problem.
Loanee Di Santo's future at the club has been cast into doubt since parent club Chelsea were placed under a transfer embargo by FIFA, but his immediate priorities appear to remain with the Lancashire outfit.
Wolves will be hoping to recall striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who has been absent with a hamstring injury since the opening day defeat to West Ham.
Other possible returnees are Kevin Foley, who has been nursing a knee ligament problem, while Michael Kightly may come into contention for the first time after breaking a bone in his foot last season. Chris Iwelumo and Stephen Ward remain long-term casualties.
The last meeting between the two sides at Ewood Park saw Wolves thrown to the slaughter, as they succumbed to a 5-1 defeat on their Premier League debut in 2003.