Blackburn Rovers head coach John Eustace has revealed that centre-back Hayden Carter could return to training this week ahead of the side’s trip to the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.
The Lancashire outfit are locked in a tight-knit relegation battle late in the campaign, having failed to win a single match since Eustace took charge of the club. Rovers did manage to beat Stoke City 3-1 at Ewood Park after the former Birmingham City boss was announced as Jon Dahl Tomasson’s successor but he only watched the victory from the stands.
According to Opta’s latest projections, Blackburn have the toughest run-in of any team in the Championship which includes a fixture at the weekend away at Middlesbrough, followed by games against Ipswich Town, Sunderland, Southampton, Leeds United, Coventry City and Leicester City.
Furthermore, only four of the side’s final nine matches of the campaign are at home. Nevertheless, Opta have also predicted that Blackburn Rovers have a 27.5% chance of being relegated which is certainly positive reading.
It’s not all negative for the relegation-threatened side. Speaking to club media today ahead of the game against Boro this Saturday, Eustace confirmed that central defender Carter could be back in training this afternoon, admitting that he is a “big fan” of the 24-year-old.
“Squad-wise, we’ve had to assess one or two this week.
“Hayden Carter’s doing really well and he might join in (training) today for the first time in a long time, which is a massive plus because I’m a real big fan of Hayden.
“Everyone’s been pushing for a start, the substitutions have made a big difference in recent games and we have a few options that we’ll look at,” he continued.
“We’re slowly getting there and I hope everyone will be back fit and that we’ll have a full squad after the international break.”
Carter sustained an injury during a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town at the end of January and was forced off the pitch. It was reported that the centre-back would be out of action for a period of 11 weeks but Carter is now ready to return to training earlier than expected.
Writer’s View
Carter was a key part of Tomasson’s backline last season in what can be described as a relatively successful campaign from Blackburn Rovers with hindsight from this season. Even this term, the former Burton Albion and Portsmouth loanee has featured 30 times for the club despite having missed the last two months.
If the Lancashire side are to pull themselves further and further away from the relegation zone, Eustace will need all his best players back fit, especially at the back given the club hold the second-worst defensive record in the Championship.
