Championship | Gameweek 26

Jan 4, 2025 at 12.30pm UK

Ewood Park (Blackburn, Lancashire)

Blackburn vs Burnley

Match preview

Blackburn may occupy a top-six position in the second tier, but their automatic promotion hopes have been dented by a four-game winless streak.

John Eustace's side have taken just two points from four games since a 2-0 home win over Luton Town on 14 December.

Blackburn suffered narrow defeats at the hands of Millwall and Hull City and were held to a 2-2 draw by Sunderland before salvaging a point at Leeds United on New Year's Day.

Danny Batth scored a dramatic equaliser moments after Leeds' Pascal Struijk had appeared to have won the game with an 88th-minute penalty.

Having ended Leeds' nine-match home winning streak, Rovers return to Ewood Park for Saturday's East Lancashire derby with the visitors looking for their first win over Burnley since a 1-0 Premier League victory in March 2010.

However, that may be easier said than done given Blackburn's recent inconsistency at home, with two wins, two draws and three defeats in their last seven league games.

Burnley go into the weekend in second place, having won 13, drawn 10 and lost just two of their 25 league games this season.

The Clarets are on a 12-match unbeaten run since losing to Millwall on 3 November, although they have been held to goalless draws by Middlesbrough and Stoke City in their last two outings.

Despite failing to take maximum points from those two games, they will be pleased to have kept three clean sheets in a row, underlining one of the key factors in their promotion push.

In fact, Scott Parker's side have conceded just nine goals in 25 Championship games this season, the best defensive record in the division.

They will now be looking for a strong away performance, having kept five clean sheets in their last six away games.

Burnley will be hoping their resolute defence can lay the foundations for another strong derby performance as they look to extend their 10-match unbeaten run against Blackburn (W6, D4).

Recent Performance

Blackburn Rovers Championship form:WWLDLD

Burnley Championship form:DWWWDD

Team News

Blackburn will be without Lewis Travis and Arnor Sigurdsson due to hamstring and calf injuries respectively.

They are joined on the sidelines by Scott Wharton, Harry Pickering and Hayden Carter, who are all out with knee problems.

Midfielder Todd Cantwell will be assessed after missing the draw with Leeds through illness.

The visitors will be without Enock Agyei, Jordan Beyer, Manuel Benson, Aaron Ramsey, Mike Tresor and Nathan Redmond.

Former Manchester United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri will serve a three-match ban after being sent off for violent conduct in the closing stages of Wednesday's draw with Stoke.

Parker could make a number of changes to his starting line-up, with Bashir Humphreys, Josh Laurent and Zian Flemming all pushing for a recall.

Possible starting lineup

Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:

Pears; Brittain, Hyman, Batth, Beck; Tronstad, Baker; Cozier-Duberry, Hedges, Dolan; Ohashi

Burnley possible starting lineup:

Trafford; Roberts, Egan-Riley, Esteve, Humphreys; Cullen, Laurent; Sarmiento, Brownhill, Anthony; Flemming