Blackburn Rovers host Nottingham Forest on Saturday, with both sides playing for pride as the Championship season draws to a close.
Blackburn's faint hopes of reaching the playoffs were quashed on Wednesday evening when they drew 2-2 at Birmingham City.
The hosts are one point and one place ahead of Forest in the table and also have a game in hand. A gap of 15 points separates Blackburn from sixth place following the Birmingham draw.
Blackburn Rovers
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Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer will now be casting his eye ahead to next season, where he will be looking to guide his side to a promotion push.
For now, though, he will have to concentrate on ensuring that Blackburn enjoy a strong end to the campaign. The Lancashire side are on course to beat last season's 10th-place finish, with themselves, Forest and Sheffield Wednesday all competing for ninth spot.
Much like last season, Bowyer's men have been a solid top-half side, but they have not been consistent enough to forge a push for the playoffs and this is something that they will be looking to rectify next term.
Blackburn have been in decent form of late, losing just two of their last six in the league, but two wins and two draws in that run sums up the inconsistent nature of their results this season.
They have a solid record at home this season, although they lost their last two games at Ewood Park to Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Recent form: WLLWDD
Recent form (all competitions): LLWLDD
Nottingham Forest
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After making a flying start to life under Dougie Freedman, Forest's form has stalled of late.
The Reds won seven of the Scot's first 10 games in charge, which threatened to propel them well into the playoff mix. However, a subsequent run of five games without victory, including four defeats, has ended their promotion hopes for another season.
Freedman, who has recently signed a new two-year deal at the City Ground, will now begin work on assembling a squad that is capable of ending Forest's 16-year exile from the top flight.
Two successive home defeats, at the hands of Huddersfield Town last Saturday and promotion-chasing Watford on Wednesday evening, will have told Freedman that he has some work to do in order to make Forest contenders next season.
They have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last five Championship outings, and they will find it hard to end that run against a Blackburn strike force that boasts Jordan Rhodes and Rudy Gestede.
Recent form: WLLDLL
Team News
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Bowyer may decide to ring the changes after Blackburn let the lead slip twice at Birmingham in midweek, with Adam Henley and Chris Taylor pushing for starts.
Gestede could be handed a start after recovering from injury. The Frenchman had to settle for a place on the bench at St Andrew's, although he did come on in place of Chris Brown.
Freedman will be forced into at least one change, with Kelvin Wilson suspended after he was sent off against Watford. Michael Mancienne could be moved back from defensive midfield to his preferred centre-half spot, with Henri Lansbury coming into midfield.
Gary Gardner will be hopeful of keeping his place in the side after scoring against Watford on his first appearance following a two-game suspension.
Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:
Eastwood, Henley, Kilgallon, Spurr, Olsson, Cairney, Williamson, Spearing, Marshall, Rhodes, Gestede.
Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:
Darlow, Kane, Hobbs, Mancienne, Lichaj, Osborn, Lansbury, Gardner, Burke, Antonio, Akpom.
Head To Head
Blackburn have the upper hand in this fixture, with 45 wins to Forest's 31. Blackburn's latest victory over the Reds came in the reverse fixture earlier in the season when goals from Alex Baptiste, Gestede and Rhodes gave the Lancashire side a 3-1 win.
Forest had a much better time of it last season as they did the double over Bowyer's men. They secured a 1-0 win on their last visit to Ewood Park, before thrashing Rovers 4-1 at the City Ground in the reverse fixture.
We say: Blackburn 2-2 Forest
Both sides have been scoring goals and conceding them in equal measure of late, so there's no reason to expect anything different at Ewood Park this weekend.
With the pressure now off, these two are more than capable of playing out an entertaining match.
Steven Toplis
