Blackburn Rovers Injury Situation Improves but Ito Deal Falls Through
Tony Mowbray believes Blackburn Rovers are finally starting to see light at the end of their injury tunnel – but their move for free agent Ryotaro Ito is all but dead.
Rovers went into Tuesday night’s 2-1 home defeat to Sheffield United without a recognised striker, forced to use Jayden Fevrier as a false nine after Andri Gudjohnsen joined an already bruised forward line on the sidelines. The Iceland international had shouldered a heavy load, playing 418 minutes across the club’s first five matches while Mathias Jorgensen and Yuki Ohashi were ruled out for several weeks.
This week has brought a glimmer of relief.
Gudjohnsen returned to training on Thursday and Mowbray is hopeful he will be fit enough to feature against Millwall at Ewood Park on Saturday (15:00 BST). Moussa Baradji is also edging closer, with the manager suggesting the forward could make his first appearance of the season from the bench.
"It's starting to improve and starting to get better," Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire, reflecting on a squad that has been stretched thin in the opening weeks.
The strain has been obvious. With senior options missing, Rovers have leaned heavily on youth to try to turn games late on.
"It would be nice to have some more senior players to try and change a game late on as opposed to hoping a young boy comes on and does something quite special," Mowbray said, underlining the need for experience in key moments.
Ito deal stalls as Rovers search for reinforcements
Off the pitch, one potential solution looks to have slipped away.
Blackburn had been close to securing a deal for Japan midfielder Ryotaro Ito, who spent last season in Belgium. The 28-year-old was even at the club on Monday, a sign that negotiations had advanced. But the move now appears to have collapsed.
"I'm not really sure what's happened," Mowbray admitted. "At this moment there's nothing happening.
"I genuinely don't know but, my experience would suggest to me that it's not going to happen now.
"I don't know why it didn't happen. I asked for help a few weeks ago and the club are trying to put some players in the building to help us."
The failed pursuit leaves Rovers still searching for reinforcements as they try to halt a worrying run of form.
Results lag behind performances
Blackburn have taken just one point from their last four matches and sit four points and 10 places behind eighth-placed Millwall. Performances, Mowbray insists, have not always matched the results.
"We know we need to find a result, we can't keep thinking the team is playing quite well but we're getting beat again or drawing again," he said.
"I think we are better than the results have suggested the last couple of games and deserved more from them, but the reality is you have to win matches and get points."
Injuries are easing. The squad might soon look stronger. But with Millwall looming and the table beginning to take shape, Blackburn’s margin for patience is shrinking fast.
