Blackburn Rovers are back on home turf as they take on Leeds united in The Battle of The Roses this weekend.
The last time the two teams met at Ewood Park was in 2020, where The Whites took home all three points.
The hosts will be hoping that they can win this tough clash to move up the table and close in on the play-off places, whilst the visitors will be looking to close the gap on the top two as they aim for promotion back to the big time.
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Team news
Blackburn Rovers
It has been confirmed that Rovers are to be without Tyrhys Dolan due to a knee injury which he picked up last time out in the defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.
Jon Dahl Tomasson has also been warned he needs to stay off the touchline for the clash following his own dismissal.
Leeds United
There has been no word on whether Leeds have any new players unavailable for the game at Ewood Park.
In a recent press conference, their boss Daniel Farke said:
"We had a few knocks after the last game and have had to manage the load.
"In the beginning of the week Sam Byram, Crysencio Summerville and Joe Gelhardt had a few problems and we had to manage the load a little bit."
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Key Players
Blackburn Rovers
A Rovers favourite for player of the season is Sammie Szmodics. The Republic of Ireland international midfielder has scored 14 goals in 20 appearances.
The Blackburn boss has been full of praise for the forward who has been in red hot form this season, Tomasson sang his praises after his brace against Birmingham City in their last home fixture. He said:
“He’s flying. Not only this week, and this month, I think actually Sammie has been playing extremely well in the last year and now he’s adding a lot of goals, which we need.
“We’re extremely pleased for Sammie.
“We want to play a game, a modern way, a fluent game where you play quick, one or two touches, within one or two seconds – it’s a way of talking without using words and Sammie is one of those players that can do that."
Harry Pickering is also a fan favourite. The English defender has signed an extended contract until 2027. Pickering has 39 clearances in 20 appearances.
Leeds United
The Dutch 22-year-old Crysencio Summerville is a player who will cause concern for Blackburn at the weekend, as he does for most opponents at this level.
After relegation, losing your best players is a real worry and Leeds fans would have been nervous during the summer as rumours spread that Summerville could make a move back to the Premier League. The winger spoke about that this week ahead of the game.
“I spoke with many people, also with my agents, and we made a decision", he said.
"For me, it was very important to play, to enjoy myself and show my best version. That was staying with Leeds.”
Since signing for the club in 2020, he has appeared 50 times in the squad and has scored 12 goals.
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Match details
Where will the game be played?
The match will be played at Ewood Park on Saturday, December 9.
When is kick-off?
Kick- off for this match will be at 12:00 GMT.
How can I buy tickets?
Rovers fans can still buy tickets until 15 minutes before kick off. This can be bought in person at The Rovers store and online here.
For travelling fans, there won't be any pay on the gate tickets available, as the full allocation of 7,400 has been sold out by the travelling faithful.
How can I watch the game?
The game is being broadcasted live on Sky Sports in the UK with coverage scheduled to start at 10:45.
