HIGHLIGHTS
Blackburn Rovers have won four of their last five Championship games, and they are in good form.
With a win over Preston North End, Blackburn will move into the play-off places.
In the absencasson’s side has now won four of their last five Championship games after a 3-1 victory away at Norwich City on Sunday afternoon.
This run has put them in tenth place in the second-tier standings, three points behind sixth-place Preston.
As a result, Rovers go into Friday’s game knowing that a win will see them leapfrog their opponents and move into the play-off positions ahead of the rest of the games scheduled for this weekend.
With that in mind, we’ve looked at the Blackburn starting lineup Tomasson could name for that game, using the 4-3-3 formation that has worked well in recent weeks.
With Aynsley Pears still out due to injury for the time being, Leopold Wahlstedt should continue in goal, extending his run in the side after joining Ewood Park in the summer.
Pickering, Blackburn’s only senior-recognized left-back, will almost certainly keep his starting spot against North End.
With Dom Hyam and Hayden Carter out due to injury, Blackburn received a major boost this week when it was announced that Wharton’s suspension for his red card against Norwich had been overturned, meaning the 26-year-old can start here to ensure his side has two centre backs to call on.
Hill has excelled at both right-back and center back since joining on loan from Bournemouth late in the summer transfer window, with Rovers’ lack of alternatives implying he will play in a central role for Friday’s derby.
With the injury to Joe Rankin Costello and the need for Hill to play centrally, Brittain will most likely be playing full back for Rovers against Preston.
Since returning to the side after a brief injury layoff, the younger Wharton brother has once again caught the eye with his performances in the center of the park, which should keep him in the starting XI for this one.
Tronstad will most likely fill the defensive holding role in the midfield three, having emerged as a vital – if under-appreciated – commanding figure in that area of the pitch in recent weeks, after a slightly sluggish start to life at Rovers following his summer move from Vitesse.
Moran’s two excellent assists in last weekend’s win at Carrow Road should be enough to keep him in the starting XI for this one, with the Brighton loanee likely to provide the majority of Blackburn’s attacking spark from midfield.
After dropping to the bench in Blackburn’s last two games, this could be a good time to bring Sigurdsson back into the starting XI for Rovers, with the Iceland international fresh enough to make a big impact in attack, as he did earlier this season.
Szmodics’ double against Norwich on Sunday gave him nine goals this season, making him the Championship’s joint top scorer, which means he must start here, leading Rovers’ attack in the absence of an out-and-out centre forward at the moment.
After a difficult period, Dolan is now in some of the best form of his career, with another goal and assist at Norwich on Sunday, so he will almost certainly start in a game against the side that released him as an 18-year-old, paving the way for his move to Ewood Park.
