Lancashire

Blackburn Rovers host East Lancashire rivals Burnley on Saturday in one of three early kick-offs in the Championship (12:30 GMT).

Rovers have not won in four league games and have dropped out of the play-off places, but are level on points with sixth-placed West Bromwich Albion.

A win could see them move up to fifth but they will need to defeat a Burnley side that started the year with a goalless draw to stretch their unbeaten run to 12 league games.

• Blackburn Rovers have failed to win any of their past nine league meetings with Burnley (D4 L5), since a 1-0 away victory in the Premier League in March 2010.

• Burnley have won each of their last three away league games against Blackburn Rovers, with no team currently on a longer winning streak at Ewood Park as visitors.

• Three of Blackburn's last four Championship defeats have come at home, though they have not lost their opening home game of a calendar year since 2015 against Wolves, going nine unbeaten since (W4 D5) then.

• Burnley are unbeaten in each of their last six away league games (W4 D2), keeping five clean sheets in that period – the Clarets have conceded the fewest goals on the road in the Championship so far this term (5).

• Blackburn are winless in their last six league games against fellow Lancashire opposition (D4 L2), since beating Blackpool 1-0 in February 2023, while Burnley are unbeaten in their last 10 such games (W5 D5), since losing 2-0 to Preston in December 2015.

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Scott Parker has hinted that new signing Oliver Sonne could be in the reckoning for Saturday's East Lancashire derby against Blackburn Rovers.

Peru international Sonne, a 24-year-old right-back, joined the club this week from Danish club Silkeborg and Parker said it was not a case of investing in potential.

Sonne, who has won 10 caps for his country and has played in the European Conference League, is battling Connor Roberts for a starting berth at Ewood Park.

"He's someone the club have been tracking for a while, and we bring him into compete for a position in which we're probably a little bit light," Parker told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"He has big quality and potential as well, but is still in the early stages of development in his game and I feel we can bring his game on.

"He's an attacking full-back, physically very, very good and he seems a very good boy and from watching him from afar and someone I am really looking forward to working with.

"You're signing a player from abroad rather than someone who has been in the division, so there's elements of seeing how he fits up to that, but we see a player here that adds to us instantly and will bring quality and affect us as a team."

Steve Eyre
BBC Radio Lancashire summariser

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Rex Features

I was glad half-time came when it did against West Brom. Any poor decisions in selection were corrected with a better performance in the second half, led by Ryan Ledson with his attitude and his goal and with Ben Whiteman coming on in the middle of the pitch - everything he did was correct.

I imagine there was a relaxed feel about the substitutes because they weren't part of the first-half mess.

The manager was part of that too because he set the team up and chose it, but the pat on the back for half-time goes to him, for mending it.

A couple of new faces would be ideal but the players are not doing enough with their consistency levels to keep a structure and settled team to give the manager fewer decisions to make.

They are putting in a performance and good victory like at weekend, and then serve up something like this for the first 45 minutes.

Image source, Rex Features

Scott Parker said Hannibal Mejbri's red card in the goalless draw with Stoke City was justified.

The Burnley boss told BBC Radio Lancashire he would talk to the player about his actions, after Mejbri appeared to stamp on Junior Tchamadeu following a challenge between the two players.

"I've got no real defence," said Parker. "This is a young player who has obviously crossed that line.

"We'll deal with that internally. Hannibal was actually devastated.

"I've been in the arena and sometimes in the heat of the moment emotions take force. He's crossed the line for us. He understands that and he will understand that in terms of going forward.

"Young players sometimes make mistakes and I'll address that with him."

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Paul Heckingbottom refused to use the illness which has affected his squad for their comprehensive defeat at West Brom, which had followed consecutive victories.

The Lilywhites were without defender Andrew Hughes for the 3-1 loss at The Hawthorns, while the manager indicated that Jack Whatmough and Jordan Storey, who both played a full 90 minutes, had also been affected by a bug.

North End had beaten Hull and Sheffield Wednesday over the Christmas period, conceding just one goal in the process, but were cut open by the Baggies in the first-half, with Josh Maja scoring twice and Callum Styles also on target.

When asked about Hughes' absence, Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire: "It's an excuse but we've had a little bit of illness going round.

"We had Pottsy [Brad Potts] previously and then Will [Keane], Sam [Greenwood] before the Boxing Day game, then Ali McCann before the last game. Then it was Hughesy, Jack and Jordan, really late.

"They wanted to play, which I expect. You can say it's an excuse but it's not - the same players were on the pitch and played a lot better second half.

"The moment you start letting players have an excuse to not perform, you're letting everyone else down. There were issues to deal with, definitely, but the three goals we conceded were terrible."