Blackburn Rovers Face Selection Dilemmas Ahead of Portsmouth Clash
Blackburn Rovers head to Fratton Park with something they’ve barely had in weeks: genuine selection dilemmas.
After an injury crisis that stripped the bench back to academy prospects, Tony Mowbray finally has senior options returning. Midfielder Moussa Baradji is in line to feature in Saturday’s Championship trip to Portsmouth, while defender Hayden Carter has already eased his way back with minutes in each of 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, a hint of relief in his voice after a bruising spell.
Baradji is the one who clearly excites him. Powerful. Technical. A different profile in the middle of the pitch.
“I'm excited by Moussa over how powerful and technical he is,” Mowbray said.
The mood around the squad has lifted too, helped by Andri Gudjohnsen’s impact. The forward came off the bench last week and scored, sharpening the competition for places in attack and backing it up with strong training performances.
“Gudjohnsen came off the bench and scored a goal last week so he's looking good and training well. 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 have been hit again. Yuri Ribeiro has been ruled out of the Portsmouth clash with a hamstring injury, a blow for Mowbray just as he was piecing together a more settled back line.
“Yuri is a no-go for a few weeks, I don't know the exact timings,” the head coach admitted.
In midfield, Adam Forshaw remains absent, his ongoing hip issue still unresolved. A consultation is booked, but clarity on when he might return is some way off.
“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 said, careful not to overpromise on a key senior figure.
There is better news on the opposite flank. Right-back Ryan Alebiosu, forced off by illness and missing the second half of last weekend’s win over Millwall, has recovered and will be fit to face Portsmouth.
For once, Mowbray can look at his team sheet and see options rather than gaps. With a testing trip to Fratton Park on the horizon, Blackburn’s season might just hinge on how quickly these returning faces turn depth into momentum.
