Diouf misses deadline for Boro trip

El Hadji Diouf will have to wait another week to make his Blackburn debut.

Although a £2m deal with Sunderland has been agreed, Rovers failed to complete contract negotiations with the Senegal striker ahead of the Premier League’s noon deadline.

It means Diouf misses tomorrow’s league game at Middlesbrough, plus Wednesday’s FA Cup fourth-round replay at home to the Black Cats as he will be cup-tied.

Boss Sam Allardyce heads to the Riverside with a virtually unchanged squad from the one available for Wednesday’s 2-2 home draw with Bolton, as David Dunn, Keith Treacy and Steven Reid are still out injured.

Team (from): Robinson, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Ooijer, Olsson, Emerton, Tugay, Mokoena, Andrews, Pedersen, McCarthy, Santa Cruz, Roberts, Grella, Khizanishvili, Villanueva, Simpson, Givet, Bunn.