After losing out in a close-fought battle against bitter rivals and league champions Burnley in their last match, Blackburn must pick up a win soon to keep in sight of the playoff places. They may find this win when they host 3rd place Luton Town who are desperately chasing down 2nd position to win promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history.
The home side are without a win in five matches, but they have only lost their most recent fixture. This is still a patch of form they do not wish to brag about, and three points are needed if they are to continue to hunt down the teams above them. 6th place is currently only 1 point away and a win against high-flying Luton could send them into promotion contention. This is a task much easier said than done as Luton’s stellar form this season has continued in their past five games. They haven’t lost and have secured three wins including their most recent fixture where they beat out their closest team in pursuit, goalscoring Middlesborough.
Sitting in the heart of their midfield, the energetic loanee Marvelous Nakamba has been pivotal for the Hatters this season. Nakamba does the unsung dirty work of the midfield, and he does it extremely well. Deemed surplus to requirements at parent club Aston Villa, he joined Luton Town in January on a season-long loan and has been an effective recycler of possession and destroyer of attacks since his debut. Luton have won eight of the thirteen games he has appeared in and they have only lost once.
Sammie Szmodics has adapted well to the physical and fast-paced style of the Championship, his energy and agility suit the style Jon Dahl Tomasson likes his Blackburn side to employ and he has been a great addition since last summer. After helping his team secure a vital point at Preston last week, he will look to continue his good form this season and perhaps force his way back into an Ireland side where his tenacity will be much needed.
Blackburn Rovers will be without John Buckley, Sam Gallagher, Jack Vale, Daniel Ayala and Clinton Mola, all are expected to return from the treatment table sometime in May. The visitors will travel north without the services of Gabriel Osho, Dan Potts and Reece Burke in their defence and will be without goalkeeping option Jack Walton.
Should fans in the UK wish to catch the action, they can do so on both Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event.
Expert insight: Both teams require as many points as they can possibly muster at this late stage of the season, with things being so tight at the top end of the table, this could be an edgy and nervy fixture. Blackburn have struggled for goals this season and Luton have also scored significantly less than the teams surrounding them, there is a chance this could be a low-scoring game and spectators should expect a very tactical game.
Championship