Preview: Blackburn Rovers vs. Sunderland - prediction, team news, lineups

In a perchance season-defining lucifer for 2 promotion hopefuls, Blackburn Rovers are acceptable to big Sunderland connected Thursday successful their 22nd Championship crippled of the play astatine Ewood Park.

The location broadside are 5th with 37 points but lost 1-0 against Millwall connected Saturday, portion the visitors person played 1 crippled much and are successful 4th spot with 43 points pursuing their 2-1 triumph against Norwich City connected December 21.

Match preview

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Blackburn faced 17 shots against Millwall but prevented their opponents from creating bully chances successful beforehand of goal, astatine slightest until the 96th infinitesimal erstwhile Mihailo Ivanovic netted a winner.

Boss John Eustace suggested that his broadside were unlucky, pointing to the adverse upwind conditions arsenic a contributory origin successful their defeat, telling reporters: ""I thought the mode the boys defended wide was fantabulous and to concede successful the past infinitesimal was disappointing. We besides played immoderate bully shot contiguous - the conditions truly hampered that, but we inactive had 2 oregon 3 truly bully chances."

Eustace's squad were successful fantabulous signifier up until their nonaccomplishment past clip retired considering they had won their erstwhile six matches, though they lone scored 1 extremity successful 4 of those games.

However, their antiaircraft grounds successful that play was phenomenal fixed they kept 5 cleanable sheets successful the 5 games anterior to their clash against Millwall.

The Riversiders' signifier astatine location has been mixed, with the nine having triumphed successful their 2 astir caller outings astatine Ewood Park but losing 2 and drafting 1 of the erstwhile three.

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Opponents Sunderland conceded archetypal against Norwich aft conscionable 20 minutes but scored 2 second-half goals from 2 acceptable pieces.

Manager Regis Le Bris hailed his players, suggesting that the triumph was not arsenic a effect of tactical instructions but alternatively idiosyncratic quality, telling reporters: "It's a balanced feeling due to the fact that winning is precise important and it's not ever astir tactics, it's a question sometimes of character. This is simply a bully prime of our team."

Sunderland finished 16th successful the Championship past word with 56 points from 44 games, but Le Bris's squad are lone 2 points from second-placed Leeds United, who inhabit the division's last automatic promotion spot.

The Black Cats person been hard to bushed having mislaid conscionable erstwhile successful their past 15 fixtures, portion besides winning 3 and drafting 1 of their 4 astir caller games, scoring 8 goals successful that time.

It should beryllium noted that the visitors' distant signifier has not been arsenic strong, with the squad drafting 3 and losing 1 of their past 5 matches connected the road.

Blackburn Rovers Championship form:

Sunderland Championship form:

Team News

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The hosts volition beryllium without midfielder Lewis Travis for six weeks aft helium suffered a hamstring wounded against Millwall, and successful his lack Eustace could commencement a treble pivot of Sondre Trondstad and John Buckley.

Defenders Hayden Carter, Harry Pickering and Scott Wharton, arsenic good arsenic goalkeeper Balazs Toth, volition miss out, truthful expect Aynsley Pears to beryllium shielded by a defence consisting of Joe Rankin-Costello, Danny Batth, Dominic Hyam and Owen Beck.

Yuki Ohashi and Makhtar Gueye are apt to beryllium fixed the motion up beforehand fixed Arnor Sigurdsson and Zak Gilsenan are unavailable.

Meanwhile, Sunderland volition beryllium without a fig of players including midfielders Alan Browne and Salis Abdul Samed, though Le Bris would apt person selected regulars Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham successful the starting XI careless of their absence.

Centre-back Daniel Ballard is not scheduled to instrumentality to enactment until aboriginal January, portion right-backs Jenson Seelt and Niall Huggins are besides ruled out, truthful possibly Luke O'Nien, Chris Mepham, Leo Fuhr Hjelde and Dennis Cirkin volition commencement successful a backmost four.

The Black Cats are astir definite to commencement Patrick Roberts, Chris Rigg and Eliezer Mayenda down striker Wilson Isidor considering forwards Ahmed Abdullahi, Romaine Mundle and Tom Watson are injured.

Blackburn Rovers imaginable starting lineup:
Pears; Rankin-Costello, Batth, Hyam, Beck; Trondstad, Buckley; Cozier-Duberry, Ohashi, Cantwell; Gueye

We say: Blackburn Rovers 2-2 Sunderland

Blackburn whitethorn conflict defensively connected Thursday fixed they volition beryllium without cardinal unit successful the backline, and it is hard to spot them keeping a cleanable sheet.

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