Hughes waits on McCarthy fitness

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes will hope star striker Benni McCarthy shows no ill effects from the gruelling win over Middlesbrough as he prepares his squad to head to Wigan tomorrow.

McCarthy needed extensive treatment during the first half following a clattering challenge from Jonathan Woodgate but recovered to head the second half winner past Mark Schwarzer.

With Brad Friedel having shrugged off the dead leg he sustained on Boxing Day, Hughes expects to name another unchanged side with Shabani Nonda continuing his partnership with McCarthy up front.

Blackburn (from): Friedel, Brown, Neill, Todd, Ooijer, Gray, Emerton, Savage, Kerimoglu, Pedersen, Bentley, Nonda, McCarthy, Brown, Derbyshire, Mokoena, Henchoz, Peter, Khizanishvili.