Blackburn Rovers Coach Tony Mowbray Faces Genuine Selection Decisions

Blackburn Rovers head coach Tony Mowbray heads to Portsmouth with something he has barely enjoyed in weeks: genuine selection decisions.

After an injury crisis that stripped his bench back to academy prospects, Mowbray can finally look beyond the bare minimum. Midfielder Moussa Baradji is set to be involved in Saturday’s Championship trip to Fratton Park (15:00 BST), 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.

The Blackburn boss has been waiting to unleash Baradji properly.

“I'm excited by Moussa over how powerful and technical he is,” he said, underlining the midfielder’s blend of strength and touch that has caught the eye in training.

There is momentum behind others too. Andri Gudjohnsen came off the bench to score in last weekend’s win over Millwall, a contribution that has pushed him firmly into Mowbray’s thoughts.

“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 will be without Yuri Ribeiro at Portsmouth after the full-back suffered a hamstring injury that rules him out for several weeks.

“Yuri is a no-go for a few weeks, I don't know the exact timings,” Mowbray admitted.

In midfield, Adam Forshaw’s absence drags on. His hip problem continues to cause concern and he is awaiting further assessment.

“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.

There is better news on the opposite flank. Right-back Ryan Alebiosu, who was forced off at half-time against Millwall because of illness, has recovered and will be fit to face Portsmouth.

From patched-up line-ups and kids filling the bench to real choices across the pitch, Mowbray finally has levers to pull again. How bold he is with them at Fratton Park will say plenty about where Blackburn’s season goes next.