Samba out for Blackburn

Wantaway defender Christopher Samba has been ruled out with an ankle injury as Steve Kean prepared for his first match in charge of Blackburn since being handed the job until the end of the season.

Kean has made three changes to the team held at home by West Ham in their last match with Grant Hanley replacing Samba for his full home debut, and Nikola Kalinic and Martin Olsson also back.

Jon Walters returns from a bout of flu to replace Ricardo Fuller in the only change made by Stoke boss Tony Pulis. Fit-again keeper Thomas Sorensen has to be content with a place on the bench.

Blackburn: Robinson, Salgado, Nelsen, Givet, Olsson, Emerton, Hanley, Dunn, Pedersen, Mame Diouf, Kalinic.

Subs: Bunn, El-Hadji Diouf, Linganzi, Doran, Mwaruwari, Hoilett, Morris.

Stoke: Begovic, Huth, Shawcross, Collins, Wilkinson, Pennant, Whitehead, Delap, Etherington, Jones, Walters.

Subs: Sorensen, Higginbotham, Whelan, Gudjohnsen, Fuller, Wilson, Sanli.

Referee: Mike Jones.