Blackburn manager Steve Kean expects to reconcile with wantaway captain Chris Samba but has revealed the defender will miss Saturday's visit of QPR due to injury.
The 27-year-old has been training with the reserves since he handed in a transfer request last month and has been a vocal critic over what he perceives as Venky's lack of ambition since they took control of Blackburn.
Samba was set to face Carlisle in a reserve game on Tuesday in a bid to increase his match-time only for a hamstring injury to derail his progress.
However, despite the setback, Kean insists his skipper remains focused on putting all the negative feeling behind him and playing his way back into the first XI.
"We want to get Chris back on the pitch and make sure he's in the proper physical state," Kean said.
"His actions as far as coming in and training - he trained really well on Monday - he's been in, he's been around the place but what happened and what was said in the window he can put behind him.
"I can only take his enthusiasm and application in the sessions and that was excellent on Monday and that's the last session he's had, unfortunately.
"After the session, Chris felt a sensation in his hamstring and was getting a bit of back pain so because of that injury he didn't manage to play in the game.
"He has been getting treatment on his hamstring and back ever since, so unfortunately he's not available.
"I'm sure once we can get this injury he's got cleared up he'll be back on the pitch with the reserves to get some minutes under his belt because we want to get him back as quickly as possible.
"We've got to make sure that when he's feeling any niggles like this he gets it right and he's in good hands with our medical team.
"There's another reserve game on Monday and if he can make that and get some minutes under his belt fantastic, if not, we move on."
In better news for Kean ahead of this weekend's clash with QPR, striker Ayegbeni Yakubu is set to return after a three-match suspension.
Yakubu, top scorer at the club this season, missed out on the Barclays Premier League games against Everton, Newcastle and Arsenal - a run from which Rovers picked up only one point and as a result slipped further down the standings.
Blackburn are now second bottom following last Saturday's 7-1 thrashing by Arsenal but are only three points behind Mark Hughes' QPR, who are two places above the relegation zone.
With fellow strugglers Bolton and Wigan facing each other on Saturday, Kean admits securing three points on Saturday against Rangers is crucial, and believes his side have learned their lessons.
"You get in off the back of a [7-1] result - that's a tough one to take, with the number of goals that we conceded and a man sent off - but really it's the first time we've been turned over and turned over good and proper," he said.
"I felt it was important not to brush that under the carpet, so we pulled that game to bits.
"We've been focused on the work that had to be done so we're sure we addressed what we felt were the problems in that game and I'm absolutely delighted with the way the lads have responded because we've been in all week - there's been no day off for the lads.
"The number of sessions we've put in and the intensity they've put in, their response and their appetite to get that game out of their system has been fantastic so it's been a real positive week.
"Everyone in and around us plays each other so it's a real big weekend.
"It's going to be a tough game for QPR off the back of what we've been doing this week and we felt that we let ourselves down against Arsenal.
"We'll be setting the record straight and getting out of the blocks and making it tough for QPR."
Post Comment
