New signing Alan Judge has been handed his Blues debut as Town take on his old club Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.
Jack Lankester, who celebrates his 19th birthday today, drops to the bench as manager Paul Lambert, a former Rovers boss, names an otherwise unchanged team, which seems likely to line-up in the 4-4-1-1 system employed as Rotherham were beaten 1-0 last weekend.
If that’s the case Freddie Sears may switch to the right with Judge operating on the left, the flank he has tended to occupy when playing wide.
Skipper Luke Chambers continues at the centre of the defence and is expected to wear a strapping on the wrist injury he suffered against the Millers.
Former Town skipper and coach Tony Mowbray makes three changes to his team with Jack Rodwell, Corry Evans and Bradley Dack returning to the XI and Ryan Nyambe, Richie Smallwood and Ben Brereton dropping to the bench having started the 4-2 midweek after-extra-time FA Cup defeat to Newcastle, also at Ewood.
Blackburn: Raya, Bennett (c), Lenihan, Rodwell, Bell, Evans, Travis, Reed, Dack, Armstrong, Graham. Subs: Leutwiler, Nyambe, Smallwood, Rothwell, Brereton, Nuttall, Conway.
Town: Gerken, Pennington, Chambers (c), Collins, Elder, Skuse, Chalobah, Sears, Judge, Keane, Quaner. Subs: Bialkowski, Bishop, Downes, Nsiala, Kenlock, Lankester, Dawkins. Referee: Darren England (South Yorkshire).