Preview: Blackburn Rovers vs Coventry City

Coventry City make the trip to Ewood Park to face Blackburn Rovers on Friday night knowing that they will be promoted to the Premier League if they avoid defeat.

Meanwhile, Blackburn head into this encounter sitting in 20th position in the Championship table, four points above the relegation zone.

Match preview

After 25 years away from the Premier League which has included ground-shares and time spent in the fourth tier of English football, Coventry are on the brink of a return to the top flight.

The Sky Blues must lose their last four games, Millwall win their four fixtures and there be a 33 goal-difference swing to prevent Frank Lampard from delivering promotion.

As such, a point against Blackburn will be enough to secure their target, yet Lampard will be eager for a maximum return that would move the club closer to the Championship title.

Despite successive goalless draws against Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday, Coventry sit 10 points clear of second-placed Ipswich Town, albeit having played one match more.

Six points from four games are still required to guarantee the title, and victory at Blackburn could put Coventry in a position to do so at home to Portsmouth in their following fixture.

That will be the incentive for a team that has racked up 36 points from 21 away games, including 13 from their last five such encounters.

Meanwhile, Michael O'Neill must find a way to galvanise his Blackburn squad after their 3-0 defeat at Southampton on Tuesday night.

Although Rovers had conceded just three goals in seven games prior to the trip to St Mary's, they were well beaten on the South coast and have now played a match more than their relegation rivals.

While West Bromwich Albion's potential points-deduction punishment could ultimately ensure that Blackburn remain in the Championship, O'Neill knows that one more win may guarantee their survival regardless.

Blackburn have only won just two of their last eight fixtures, yet succumbing to Southampton was their first defeat since March 11.

They also have nine points from their most recent six encounters at Ewood Park, drawing their last three contests and only losing to Bristol City by a 2-1 scoreline.

Blackburn Rovers Championship form:

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Coventry City Championship form:

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Team News

O'Neill will make a number of changes to his Blackburn XI, with Eiran Cashin, Ryoya Morishita and Yuki Ohashi likely to return to the team.

Ryan Alebiosu may miss out after suffering a rib injury against Southampton, while O'Neill must decide whether to take a risk on Adam Forshaw's calf issue.

However, Todd Cantwell is expected to remain sidelined, which could leave a decision to be made over who starts out of Nathan Redmond and Mathias Jorgensen.

Tatsuhiro Sakamoto is the one major injury doubt for Coventry, the Japanese winger continuing to recover from a rib injury suffered against Hull City on Easter Monday.

If Lampard chooses to rotate in the final third, Romain Esse and Ellis Simms could replace Brandon Thomas-Asante and Haji Wright.

Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:

Toth; Atcheson, McLoughlin, Cashin; Gardner-Hickman, Baradji, Montgomery, Ribeiro; Morishita, Ohashi; Jorgensen

Coventry City possible starting lineup:

Rushworth; Van Ewijk, Latibeaudiere, Kitching, Dasilva; Onyeka, Grimes; Esse, Rudoni, Mason-Clark; Wright

We say: Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Coventry City

Although Coventry are favourites to prevail from this contest, their stuttering form will give encouragement to Blackburn. However, we feel that the Sky Blues will show enough fight and quality to earn the share of the spoils that will see them end their long absence from the top flight.

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