Scouting Report: Blackburn Rovers (Away)

Reading look to gain their first points of the season at Ewood Park as they take on Tony Mowbray’s Blackburn side on Wednesday evening. Rovers come into the game off the back of a 1-0 win away at Hull on Saturday, however they are sweating over the fitness of star man Bradley Dack who left the field with an injury to his knee at the K-COM.

The midfielder will be assessed ahead of the game and Blackburn fans will be hoping the former Gillingham man is fit start against the Royals. Meanwhile, Derrick Williams isn’t ready to feature just yet, while recent acquisition Jacob Davenport is still recovering from a hip flexor problem.

Blackburn have started the season with one win and two draws and are sitting pretty in 11th place. Bradley Dack has shone so far for the Rovers, scoring twice in their opening three league fixtures and four times in all competitions, and is the source of most of Blackburn’s chances. He will be a massive miss for Rovers fans if he fails in his attempts to be fit for Wednesday’s game, however I don’t think they will suffer just because he’s out of the squad.

Adam Armstrong hit the ground running when he made his debut in Blackburn’s 5-1 cup victory over Carlisle, scoring twice, and he will be hoping to add to his tally against the Royals in midweek. He scored nine goals in 21 appearances whilst on loan at Blackburn last year and made enough of an impact that Tony Mowbray decided to make the deal a permanent one.

Mowbray has been playing a 4-2-3-1 formation so far this season and this is how I think they will line-up:

David Raya; Ryan Nyambe, Darragh Lenihan, Charlie Mulgrew, Amari’i Bell; Richard Smallwood, Corry Evans; Kasey Palmer, Adam Armstrong, Elliott Bennett; Danny Graham

I personally do not think Mowbray will take a risk on Dack’s fitness, and he will instead start Adam Armstrong in-behind Danny Graham. Blackburn have a strong side and will be particularly threatening down the flanks, with Bennett and Palmer occupying those areas.

Palmer was on loan at Derby last season, and Reading fans will remember him for the part he played in the 2017 play-off final penalty defeat. Blackburn are a very well-rounded side and will be heading into the fixture with Reading fairly confident after the Royals’ very poor start to the season.