Blackburn Rovers Prepare for Portsmouth with New Options
Blackburn Rovers head to Fratton Park with something Tony Mowbray has barely enjoyed in weeks: options.
A squad stretched thin by injuries is slowly knitting itself back together, and the head coach can finally talk about selection dilemmas rather than damage limitation for Saturday’s Championship trip to Portsmouth (15:00 BST).
Moussa Baradji is set to be involved, offering fresh legs and a different dimension in midfield. The Frenchman’s blend of power and technique has clearly caught Mowbray’s eye.
"I'm excited by Moussa over how powerful and technical he is," Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire, underlining the impact the midfielder could have as he edges into contention.
At the back, Hayden Carter has already begun to re-establish himself, featuring in each of the past two games and bolstering a defence that has had to lean heavily on youth in recent weeks.
"Hayden and Moussa are back in the picture so it's good to have a few more choices off the bench rather than the academy kids," Mowbray said, a nod to how bare the bench has been.
The lift in depth comes with another reminder of how fragile this squad has been. Left-back Yuri Ribeiro misses the Portsmouth trip after suffering a hamstring injury, a blow on the eve of a tricky away assignment.
"Yuri is a no-go for a few weeks, I don't know the exact timings," Mowbray admitted, confirming that the defender faces a spell out.
Adam Forshaw remains absent as well. The experienced midfielder is still troubled by a hip problem and is awaiting further assessment.
"Forshaw is still an issue with his hip and has a consultation coming up so he won't be available in the short term but I don't want to speculate," Mowbray added, careful not to put a date on any return.
There is better news on the opposite flank. Right-back Ryan Alebiosu will be fit to face Portsmouth after illness forced him off at half-time in last weekend’s win over Millwall. His availability restores balance to the back line and spares Mowbray another reshuffle.
Up the pitch, competition is quietly growing. Andri Gudjohnsen came off the bench to score in that victory over Millwall, staking his claim in the most convincing way possible and backing it up with strong work in training.
"(Andri) Gudjohnsen came off the bench and scored a goal last week so he's looking good and training well," said Mowbray, sounding every bit like a coach who suddenly has genuine decisions to make.
"It's good we have choices which, it's fair to say, we haven't had over the past couple of weeks."
After a spell of simply trying to fill shirts, Blackburn arrive at Portsmouth with something closer to a bench that can change a game. The question now is how Mowbray uses those returning pieces in a stadium that rarely forgives hesitation.
