Blackburn Rovers Prepare for Portsmouth Clash with Key Player Returns

Blackburn Rovers boss Tony Mowbray will travel to Portsmouth with something he hasn’t enjoyed for weeks: genuine selection decisions.

After an injury crisis that stripped his bench back to academy prospects, Mowbray can finally look beyond the bare minimum. Midfielder Moussa Baradji is in line to feature in Saturday’s Championship clash at Fratton Park (15:00 BST), while defender Hayden Carter has already eased his way back with minutes in the last two games.

“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 told BBC Radio Lancashire.

The tone around Baradji, in particular, is upbeat. Mowbray likes what he sees.

“I'm excited by Moussa over how powerful and technical he is,” he said, underlining the midfielder’s blend of strength and touch that Rovers have missed in recent weeks.

The options don’t end there. Andri Gudjohnsen came off the bench and found the net last weekend, a timely reminder of his sharpness and impact.

“(Andri) Gudjohnsen came off the bench and scored a goal last week so he's looking good and training well,” Mowbray added. The message is clear: places are no longer guaranteed.

“It’s good we have choices which, it's fair to say, we haven't had over the past couple of weeks.”

The picture is not entirely rosy. On the left, Blackburn will be without Yuri Ribeiro at Portsmouth after the full-back suffered a hamstring injury that rules him out for several weeks.

“Yuri is a no-go for a few weeks, I don't know the exact timings,” Mowbray admitted, with the uncertainty around his return leaving a gap to plug on that flank.

In midfield, Adam Forshaw remains out. His hip problem continues to trouble him and he is awaiting a consultation.

“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,” said Mowbray, drawing a firm line under any guesswork about when the experienced midfielder might be back.

One piece of positive news comes on the opposite side of the defence. Right-back Ryan Alebiosu, who was forced off at half-time during last weekend’s win over Millwall due to illness, has recovered and will be fit to face Portsmouth.

From patched-up line-ups and kids filling the bench to genuine competition for places, Blackburn’s squad is starting to thicken out again. The question now is how quickly Mowbray can turn that renewed depth into momentum in the Championship grind.