Boss Mick McCarthy will be forced into one change for Saturday’s game at Blackburn with keeper Scott Loach out with a sprained finger. On-loan West Ham man Stephen Henderson will come back into the side, while winger Lee Martin again looks set to miss out.

Aside from the change of keeper, McCarthy, who is getting over the flu bug which led to him missing last week’s match, is likely to stick with the same team which beat Middlesbrough 4-0 on Saturday at Portman Road.

In front of Henderson, Richard Stearman will continue at right-back, Aaron Cresswell at left-back and Tommy Smith and Luke Chambers at centre-half.

In midfield, Guirane N’Daw and Luke Hyam will be in the centre with Daryl Murphy probably continuing on the left with Martin considered a big doubt with the hamstring injury which saw him miss the game against the Teessiders.

Skipper Carlos Edwards played 90 minutes for Trinidad and Tobago in their 2-0 defeat to Peru at right-back on Wednesday, however, it seems unlikely that the 34-year-old will be rested — as Tommy Smith was in similar circumstances earlier in the season - with McCarthy praising his captain’s fitness at Thusday’s press conference.

Up front, David McGoldrick and Aaron Mclean will be hoping to add to the goals they scored against Boro.

McCarthy says Blackburn, who are in 13th position on 40 points, six places and five points ahead of Town, have so far failed to look like threatening to join the promotion battle and he hopes that now isn’t the moment they suddenly hit form: “Everybody’s been expecting them to do something from the start of the season, a bit like Wolves, a bit like Bolton, and they haven’t.

“I hope [they don’t make a run at it now], because they’ll have to beat us to make a run at it, so let’s hope that’s not the case.”

Rovers boss Michael Appleton says former Blues loanee Bradley Orr will have a significant role to play now that he has been recalled to his parent club.

The 30-year-old right-back returned to the Blackburn side last week, coincidentally playing against his former club Bristol City, who he had also faced in his final game with Town seven days previously.

Orr was loaned out to the Blues having been criticised by fans for backing ex-boss Steve Kean and then having fallen out with Rovers’ global advisor Shebby Singh.

But Appleton says he is a big fan: “He is one of those players who everybody loves at the football club. He is good company as well and it is good we have him back at the club.

“He is an infectious character. Although it may not have been a great start to his career at Blackburn, I don’t think he can blamed for any part in that.

“I think there are other people out there who can be blamed for a part in it. He has done nothing wrong as far as I am concerned and he will come in and do well for us until the end of the season.”

Blackburn have completed the loan signing of another former Blues loanee, DJ Campbell, until the end of the season, while free agent midfielder Lee Williamson has signed a deal until the summer of 2014 having recently left Appleton’s former club Portsmouth.

Centre-back Grant Hanley missed Scotland duty due to a hip problem and will be assessed prior to the game.

Norwegian international striker Josh King and right-back Adam Henley are out with hamstring injuries, while frontman Leon Best and midfielder Dickson Etuhu have long-term knee problems.

Town have had the upper hand on Rovers over the years, winning 16 games (13 in the league), losing 11 (10) and drawing 15 (14).

No one in the current Town squad has played for Rovers, but three of Saturday’s opposition have featured for the Blues.

In addition to ex-loanees Orr and Campbell, who remains Town’s top scorer for the season on 10, Jordan Rhodes, the son of former Blues keeper-coach Andy, came through the academy ranks at Playford Road.

The striker made 10 sub appearance and scored one goal for the Town first team before being controversially sold to Huddersfield by then-manager Roy Keane in the summer of 2009.

Rhodes moved on to Blackburn for £8 million in August and has netted a total of 24 goals for his clubs and Scotland so far this season, 19 in 28 games since joining Rovers.

On the opening day of the Championship season in August, an own goal by Blackburn defender Jason Lowe seven minutes from time saw the Blues to a deserved 1-1 draw at Portman Road.

Jason Scotland had laid Luke Hyam’s pass into the six-yard box for Michael Chopra before the Rovers left-back diverted it home. The visitors had gone in front in the first half via debutant Colin Kazim-Richards.

Town were last at Ewood Park back in March 2002 in the Premiership when George Burley suffering his 100th league defeat as Ipswich manager.

A disappointing first half saw Blackburn go two-up through Damien Duff and Andy Cole, but a much improved second half display saw Marcus Stewart get back into scoring action, but it wasn't enough to grab Town a valuable point.

Saturday’s referee is Kevin Wright from Cambridgeshire, who has shown 33 yellow cards and two red in 10 games so far this season. Wright’s most recent Town game was the 2-1 home victory over Preston in April 2011 in which he booked one player from each side.

Squad from: Henderson, Lee-Barrett, Stearman, Hewitt, Cresswell, Mings, Kisnorbo, Chambers, Smith, N’Daw, Drury, Hyam, Wordsworth, Edwards, Emmanuel-Thomas, Murphy, Chopra, Mclean, McGoldrick, Nouble.

Photo: Action Images

MattinLondon added 13:54 - Feb 8 On paper Blackburn might well have a good team but their league position doesn't suggest that they are playing as a team. And what with Mclean and McGoldrick being in good form - we can test their defence as well. It will be a good test against a team which was in the PL last season. The Blackburn crowds have dipped quite heavily already and so their crowd won't be too intimidating at all.

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Karlosfandangal added 13:58 - Feb 8 Campbell has signed for Blackburn and can play on Saturday. Campbell 90th Minute winner you can just see it
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Karlosfandangal added 14:02 - Feb 8 Sheff Wed and Wolves are leading the chase to Wickham on loan. Wonder if he wishes he had stayed another year or so with us
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DanLyles added 14:04 - Feb 8 Heading up to Lancashire shortly before the game tomorrow. Have a horrible feeling that either Rhodes or DJ will score against us. However, we look far more assured at the back these days (hope I haven't cursed us) with Smth and Chambers forming a good partnership, while few sides in this division have better full backs than Stearman and Cresswell. If Hyam and N'Daw can stop the likes of Murphy and Pedersen from passing the ball around, like they did the Boro midfield then we should have a decent chance. Just hope we continue to provide McGoldrick and McLean with the service. Edwards needs to have another good game and Murphy will need to impose himself in the air from the wing. Looking forward to seeing Wordsworth at some point as his introduction could make the difference.

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JWM added 14:15 - Feb 8 I'm not fussed that Orr has gone back to Blackburn, Stearman is a far superior player.
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cookra added 14:21 - Feb 8 I'm a massive Loach fan and will have to eat my words if Henderson does well (im pleased we've brought him in now) Lets hope Martin stays out for a little while longer. We played some good stuff last week without him
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Lightningboy added 14:25 - Feb 8 Don't think we'll really miss Martin and his lack of goals...prob why Mick's in no hurry to give him a new deal...if you're an attacking midfielder in this league you should be weighing in with 7 or 8 goals a season minimum..for him to not have scored once this season says a lot about his value to the team.
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kerryblue added 14:33 - Feb 8 Glad Henderson is back for us,he gives the whole defence far more stability
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kerryblue added 14:50 - Feb 8 Wait for it that idiot Matt Raisin will be on having a pop,hes either blind or has a thing for loach
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BoredWithThisNow added 14:56 - Feb 8 Christ almighty, spare us from the gimp that is Henderson
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Pessimistic added 15:20 - Feb 8 "who are in 13th place, six ahead of the Blues on 40 points, five more than Town," I am a bit confused by this sentence?
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PhilTWTD added 15:34 - Feb 8 Pessimistic Have amended: "...who are in 13th position on 40 points, six places and five points ahead of Town..." That better?
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ChrisMakin2012 added 15:45 - Feb 8 McLean and McGoldrick in form? They've had 1 good game haha
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JewellintheTown added 15:51 - Feb 8 Anyone else get the gut feeling that Rhodes will score against us and so will DJ? I like them both so I do hope neither take any pleasure in it if they do.
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daniel9624 added 15:55 - Feb 8 What odds on DJ and Rhodes scoring against us!
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yorksblue added 18:36 - Feb 8 Who cares if they score, as long as we score more
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Cheshire_Blue added 18:58 - Feb 8 Just a thought. How many of DJs goals would McGoldrick have put away? and would DJ have scored the one McGoldrick got against Boro? I suspect we may be better off with McGoldrick and we have yet to see the best. Time will tell.
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alljezer added 20:00 - Feb 8 Let's put this silly myth to bed about ex players scoring. 3-1 to the Town, with the three M's on the score sheet.
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Steelmonkey added 20:13 - Feb 8 Might not be a problem with DJ scoring on the 90, as most games playing for us he was usually substituted before then. Lets hope he needs a few games to settle in to rovers set up. I wonder, if we hadn't sold Rhodes, would he have become the player he is today. I'm sure he wouldn't have got games under Keane, wether that's due to the disagreement Keano had with Rhodes father, or if he wouldn't risk playing him due to towns poor league position at the time. Was loaning him out to Huddesfield not an option? With Jewell, - what faith did he ever show in playing our younger players - perhaps for the same reason of league form he would not have been risked. Well that's an question that we can all wonder about. Lets hope we show the same level of commitment and team play as we did against Middlesborough last Saturday, COYB's.

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suffolkpunchdrunk added 20:17 - Feb 8 Talking of ex players there cannot be another team in the championship that has as many ex players playing for, managing or coaching other clubs in this league as this club has. I can think of at least twelve and there are probably a few more. Anyway that aside either Rhodes or DJC are likely to score but we will win 2-1. COYB!
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TimmyH added 20:26 - Feb 8 Bloody typical! - bet Campbell scores, but saying that I'm liking our back 4 now so I think we'll get a draw.
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Keaneish added 21:40 - Feb 8 Rhodes and Campbell Or McLean and Mcgoldrick? Think I'd rather Rhodes and Mcgoldrick in truth!
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R_LAMB3 added 23:50 - Feb 8 Rhodes is a different class to Campbell because he scores for fun often twos or threes in a game where Campbell get the odd goal here and there. I also think McGoldrick will turn out to be a better player for us then Campbell because he is a work horse and he scores goals as well and i think he will score lots of goals for us. PS maybe someone should say sorry for calling Kerryblue a budgie because everyone on here should be able to say what they feel like a lot of people run Martin down all the time so do that make them budgie supporters to. The real budgie fan who come on here and slag playersoff are the ones like last week after we one four nil and the ones who get -30 on there name or more and i believe Kerryblue got a 2plus so whats wrong with that so say sorry mate. Anyway back to saturdays game . I think if we score early we have a chance but if they score early i fear the worst. I forecast 2-1 to town and McGoldrick scoring twice and Rhodes getting there goal.

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bluemikey100 added 10:10 - Feb 9 EADT say Wickham joined Sheff Wed on loan for a month
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theobald1985 added 11:09 - Feb 9 when mick took over we had a great run of results and martin was p[laying then. some people on hear have short memories. remember all the slagging of dan harding and he went on and did well at southhampton and leadbitter at boro. Lee martin has not got where he is today by being a rubbish player that is the reason when he is fit he plays. I think there will be plenty of goals today 3-2 town me hopes but lets get behind our players coyb

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