Same again for Sam

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is likely to select from the same squad which won their first Barclays Premier League match in 12 attempts when the team face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on St Stephen's Day.

Striker Roque Santa Cruz has not recovered from a calf injury which forced him to miss the 3-0 win over Stoke on Saturday, meaning Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts are set to continue their successful partnership up front.

Australian midfielder Vince Grella has now recovered from the hamstring injury which has kept him out since mid-November but is now sidelined by a virus.

Provisional squad: Robinson, Brown, Simpson, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Olsson, Emerton, Warnock, Mokoena, Dunn, Tugay, Treacy, Pedersen, Roberts, Derbyshire, Villanueva, McCarthy, Andrews.