Duff injury gives Souness the blues ahead of Chelsea visit

DAMIEN DUFF will miss tonight's visit of Chelsea to Blackburn after failing to recover from a thigh strain.

Blackburn's left winger, who has recently signed a new four-year deal, picked up the injury in the Republic of Ireland's 4-2 defeat by Russia on Saturday and will be out for two up to three weeks.

Blackburn manager Graeme Souness said: ''Since he signed his contract he has been on fire for us so it's very disappointing.''

Duff's injury may give a chance for Keith Gillespie to make an appearance on the right wing with David Dunn moving to the left.

Meanwhile, Chelsea defender William Gallas has urged his team-mates to solve the recurring Chelsea conundrum on inconsistency which costs them crucial points starting with Blackburn, one of the clubs they are expected to beat.

The 25-year-old was frustrated by their inability to make the most of Patrick Vieira's sending-off in their last Premiership game, a 1-1 draw against Arsenal, and he is baffled by why it happens to the Blues so often.

But the task of securing victory over Blackburn tonight is more difficult than it first appears and, historically, is one of their toughest assignments of the season.

Claudio Ranieri's side have yet to beat Rovers in the Premier League and Gallas believes Chelsea must find a solution which will end that run and make them more of a force when it comes to challenging for honours.

"We could have secured three points (against Arsenal) because we were 11 against 10 after Vieira had to leave the game in the 48th minute," he said.

We weren't able to really take advantage of that.

''Basically, we feel just as if we were reliving last year's events. We always feel we're able to win, but we end every match in a draw. We can't figure out why.''

Chelsea sit sixth in the table and are still unbeaten but if a record of three draws from only four matches points to a return to last season's inconsistencies - although two of those points were secured against defending champions Arsenal and Manchester United.

''We still haven't lost a single game but still, I just can't do with draws,'' Gallas told his personal website www.william-gallas.com.

Despite the frustration of drawn matches, the French-born former Marseille player is enjoying life in the Premiership and believes he is building up a good understanding in central-defence with fellow countryman Marcel Desailly.

''This is the best thing that could ever happen to me, I really love playing with Chelsea,'' he added.

''Marcel Desailly and I are getting along, we communicate more now, it's going fine. Really fine.''