please log in to view this image A spate of ankle injuries leaves Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray with limited options once again for another vital Sky Bet Championship survival battle against Bristol City at Ewood Park. Goalkeeper Jason Steele joined the casualty list ahead of Friday's win at Nottingham Forest, where David Raya deputised well. Midfielder Craig Conway was another player sidelined after suffering a problem in training on the eve of the Forest game. Elliott Ward made an impressive return - his first appearance since the opening day of the season - in central defence with Charlie Mulgrew and Darragh Lenihan ruled out. Bristol City boss Lee Johnson could stick with an unchanged line-up for the third successive match as the Robins look to move a step closer to safety. Johnson has kept faith with the same side for the back-to-back victories over Wolves and QPR and, providing his players have all recovered from Friday's win over the Hoops, could opt against making changes. Should he decide to freshen things up, then forwards Aaron Wilbraham and Callum O'Dowda - who have both been used off the bench in the last two matches - could come in. Otherwise, midfielder Gary O'Neil continues to be absent with a leg injury while it remains to be seen when striker Milan Djuric is available to return. Match facts Rovers have lost just one of their last six league games against Bristol City but that was in October's reverse fixture (W4 D1). The Robins have had a player sent off in two of their last three Championship games against Blackburn. Aaron Wilbraham has scored in each of the last two games between Blackburn and Bristol City. Blackburn have met Bristol City twice before in league games on a Monday, scoring five goals in both games - a 5-2 win in 1909 and a 5-0 win in 1958. Only already relegated Rotherham (20) have lost more away Championship games than Bristol City this season (14). please log in to view this image All you need to know about today's opponents. BLACKBURN ROVERS A run of seven matches without a win from early March has dragged Blackburn deep into the mire, although they were given hope on Easter Monday thanks to Tommy Hoban’s solitary goal to claim all three points at Nottingham Forest. That completed a double over Forest, a feat Blackburn had only managed twice previously this season – remarkably over Derby County and Premier League-bound Newcastle (1-0 wins home and away). After tomorrow’s game, Blackburn face away trips to Wolves and Brentford, with a home clash against Aston Villa sandwiched in between. MANAGER Tony Mowbray had a brief spell as Ipswich Town’s interim manager in 2002, but it took two more years for him to start life full time in management at Hibernian. He returned to English football with West Bromwich Albion in 2006, where he enjoyed a three-year spell. A Championship title win in 2007/08 - the same season City reached the play-off final – prompted interest from north of the border once more, this time his former club Celtic. In 2009 Mowbray took over at the Parkhead helm, but his stay only lasted nine months. Mowbray took charge of Middlesbrough next – losing his first game in charge against Bristol City at the Riverside in 2010. This season Mowbray started the campaign at Coventry City, but left in September. With Blackburn hurtling towards League One, they turned to Mowbray to give them hope from February onwards. OFFICIALS Michael Jones will be in charge of the match, assisted by Mark Scholes and Andrew Garratt. Stuart Attwell has been named as the fourth official. TICKETS City fans will be able to pay on the day from the away ticket office, from 1pm. More than 850 tickets have been purchased in advance. LAST TIME OUT Bristol City 1-0 Blackburn Rovers. October 22nd 2016. Aaron Wilbraham left it late to fire City to victory. The big striker drilled in an 88th-minute to seal all three points for the home team, who had the better share of the chances in the game. City said farewell to club legend Gerry Gow on the same day. LAST SEASON Sky Bet Championship: 15th FA Cup: Fifth Round (Lost to West Ham United) EFL Cup: First Round (Lost to Shrewsbury Town) DID YOU KNOW? Rovers used four other venues before settling on their home at Ewood Park in 1890. Oozehead Ground, Pleasington Cricket Ground, Alexandra Meadows and Leamington Road all hosted matches involving Rovers. ODDS Sky Bet has installed Blackburn as very narrow favourites at 7/5, with City priced 9/5. The draw is 23/10.
If we win we are well on the way to safety, if we lose we are back in the mire, if we draw we are in la la land, no Johnson criticism's today, we must get behind our team to the best of our abilities.. Up the City
If you win today you'll definitely be safe no question in my mind after your Wolves and QPR wins. Should Blackburn take the points today (and I think they will), you should still be OK. If we beat Forest this afternoon, you'll finish above them and we'll see you again next season.
I'm expecting us to lose today as will we do against Brighton. It's our home games that will see us to safety possibly this season. Me personally would rather see Birmingham or Florest go down. It's not that I prefer Blackburn over those two, it's just I don't know if Blackburn could return from league one with the Venky's in control. And I wouldn't like to see another team like Portsmouth be ruined by foreign ownership. I know Florest and Brum have foreign ownership but I feel they can survive it better. Also a strange thing is that all our four remaining games are v another club beginning with the letter B
last season Burton replaced Burnley and Bolton went down replaced by Barnsley.. last season there was a group of 6 all playing on the same day?! last day 4 do...the wonderful world of coincidence
I certainly hope you can do us a favour this arvo OldSparkey and beat Forest, I think we'll get a point against Blackburn, but genuinely wouldn't be surprised with any result in our game such has been our season! I always thought despite the bad run and fan negativity we would be safe, and maybe after today we pretty much could be - we will see.
Tough one to call today. Blackburn have had a bit of a revival of late same as us. They will be favourites on their own patch but I bet their fans fear us as much as we do them, given our league positions and the importance of the 3 points to both teams.
Birmingham v Burton also means points will be available but also lost too (ie) they both cant win or lose
18 Bristol City ...................43 13 8 22 55 63 -8 .......47 19 Birmingham................. 43 11 14 18 42 62 -20.....47 20 Nottm Forest ..............43 13 9 21 57 67 -10 ......48 21 Burton ............................43 12 12 19 43 57 -14..... 51 22 Blackburn.....................43 11 13 39 49 63 -14 .....46 THE WORST SCENARIO
Today is the biggest game this season for city. Time to produce a quality performances. The thing we must not do is lose.
In JGF head of wild stats anything is possible or perhaps he thinks that they are playing twice? Who knows but I think a lot of drugs have been consumed in his past.
Bet you if we lose you will be the first to put up a thread saying Johnson out. Also just because you're a bit dim, if we lose we don't get relegated today by the way.
Bristol City FCVerified account@bcfctweets 12m12 minutes ago #BLAvBRC: Fielding, Little, Flint, Wright, Bryan, Brownhill, K.Smith, Pack, Paterson, Abraham, Taylor. #BristolCity Bristol City FCVerified account@bcfctweets 13m13 minutes ago #BLAvBRC subs: Giefer, Magnusson, O'Dowda, Cotterill, Hegeler, Tomlin, Wilbraham. #BristolCity