Huddersfield Town go in search of a third win in the space of a week when they head to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.
Chris Powell's side secured a superb 3-1 win at Wolves in midweek to register their first back-to-back league wins since December last year, when they actually won three on the spin.
The Terriers will have to overcome a side they have failed to beat in any competition since 1999 in Blackburn though to match that feat, while you have to stretch back 28 years to 1986 find a Town win at Ewood Park, with a 2-1 success on Boxing Day that year the last time they have left with all three points.
Blackburn suffered a disappointing 2-0 reverse in midweek at Rotherham United as they maintained their reputation for being one of the most inconsistent sides in the division so far this term.
Rovers now lie 11th in the Championship standing, four points shy of the play-offs and just three points in front of Powell's side, but only the top four can boast a better goalscoring record so far this season.
Bowyer's side do, however, have a soft underbelly as the 18 goals they have conceded will testify and only Town, Bolton Wanderers and Fulham have shipped more.
And here is everything you need to know about the game as Town look to secure a third consecutive win in the Championship.
Kick-off
Blackburn Rovers v Huddersfield Town (3pm)
The likely line-ups
Blackburn Rovers (4-2-3-1): Steele; Marshall, Hanley (capt), Duffy, Olsson; Tunnicliffe, Williamson; Cairney, Taylor, Conway; Rhodes.
Huddersfield Town (4-5-1): Smithies; Smith, Hudson (capt), Lynch, Robinson; Scannell, Butterfield, Hogg, Coady, Bunn; Holt.
Team news
Blackburn Rovers: Boss Gary Bowyer is facing up to a lengthy injury list after seeing Rudy Gestede pick up a hamstring strain during the midweek defeat at the New York Stadium.
Corry Evans' fifth booking of the season on Tuesday also rules him out, so Lee Williamson could come into contention in the middle of midfield, while Bowyer is also without Alex Baptiste, Paul Robinson, Jason Lowe, Chris Brown, David Dunn and Tommy Spurr.
Tom Cairney, however, is set to win his fitness battle after missing the trip to Rotherham.
Huddersfield Town: Chris Powell has no such worries and, although he admitted his squad are carrying a couple of knocks after the exertions of the win over Wolves, only captain Lee Peltier remains a question mark on top of the long-term absentees.
James Vaughan is one of those missing, as are Anthony Gerrard and Martin Paterson as the trio step up their recoveries from injury.
Ones to watch
Blackburn Rovers: Shane Duffy - He was one of Yeovil Town's rare bright notes in their relegation season last year but Duffy secured a permanent switch to the Championship with Blackburn this summer and is already impressing at the heart of the defence alongside captain Grant Hanley.
While Hanley v Grant Holt promises to be an intriguing battle, Duffy will more likely be tasked with dealing with the runners off the towering frontman, as well as getting Rovers' game going from the back.
Huddersfield Town: Mark Hudson - One of the understated heroes from Wednesday night, but the experienced stopper will be acutely aware of the threat Jordan Rhodes poses up front for Rovers and will have to be on his game from the outset.
He got in the way of everything Wolves hurled at him at Molineux but Rovers have been free-scoring this season. Hudson will be key to limiting them to less chances than they are accustomed to at Ewood Park.
What the bookies say
Town are once again ranked as the outsiders for this contest, with Blackburn fancied as a 10/11 shot to secure all three points, while Powell's side come in at 14/5.
The draw is only marginally lesser odds at 13/5 but it is clearly expected to be a tight one given that the shortest odds on a scoreline are for the hosts to win 1-0 at 7/1.
The Terriers have failed to find the net in this fixture since Pawel Abbott netted in a then Carling Cup encounter back in 2005, but of the current crop to have scored at all against Bowyer's side in recent times, Nahki Wells is the most likely to get involved in the action.
And the pint-sized striker is backed as a 6/1 shot to break the deadlock, with Rhodes the clear favourite at 7/2.
Last time they met
This corresponding fixture last campaign ended in a bore-draw, but the last meeting was back in March earlier this year when a Rhodes-inspired Rovers outfit ran out 4-2 winners at the John Smith's Stadium.
Bowyer's side entered that game off the back of a three defeats but pilfered a fourth-minute lead courtesy of Rhodes after he latched onto a Gestede flick-on, only for Adam Hammill to level matters shortly after.
A Rhodes header, followed by Craig Conway's soft goal put Rovers in control in the second half and, despite Wells pulling one back with a low drilled strike, Rhodes completed his hat-trick for his fifth goal in four appearances against his former side by racing clear late on.
Match facts
Head-to-Head
- Rovers have failed to taste defeat across the last eight meetings in all competitions, winning six of those. Town's last win was a 3-2 home success in the old Division One back in August 1999.
- Blackburn are also unbeaten in the last seven meetings at Ewood Park in all competitions and have taken all three points on five of those occasions. Town's last win there was 2-1 in the old Division Two on Boxing Day 28 years ago in 1986..
Blackburn Rovers
- Bowyer's side have won just one of their last four games, drawing one and losing two. Their only win since mid-September was 1-0 at Fulham later that month.
- Rovers have also not won either of their last two home games. Their last win at Ewood Park was almost a month ago when they triumphed 3-1 against Wigan Athletic.
Huddersfield Town
- Town have won two consecutive league games for the first time since December and can match their three-game winning run then by securing maximum points from their trip to Lancashire.
- The Terriers' 3-1 win at Wolves also brings to a halt some poor league form which had seen them lose their previous two away games and winning none of their previous six in all competitions overall.
What the managers say
Gary Bowyer: "We’ve had a good meeting with the players, spoke about where we’re at, and where we want to go, and the general opinion from everybody in the meeting was that we’ve got to put Tuesday night to bed and focus on the Huddersfield game."
Chris Powell: "They have some very good players and some very creative players, and I expect a response from them after Rotherham.
"But we have shown we have the firepower and the creativity. By keeping clean sheets, we guarantee at least one point and give ourselves a
great chance of three."
Man in the middle
Nigel Miller (County Durham) Notoriously keen to brandish a yellow at any given opportunity, Miller has already handed out 17 yellow cards in just seven games he has officiated so far this term.
He took charge of Town as recently as last season when Nottingham Forest secured a 3-0 win at the John Smith's Stadium, while the season before he oversaw a 1-1 draw with Blackpool on Boxing Day 2012.
Terriers fans should recognised him because he has reffed Town 15 times in his career, one which has seen him fail to award less than three red cards in a season with his highest tally being 11 from 2009/2010.
Tom says
"There's certainly scope for this to be a case of after the Lord Mayor's show for Town after the physical and mental exertions of midweek, let alone the fact Rovers have had an extra day's worth of recovery.
"But the steely-eyed Powell was in no mood to discuss that prospect at yesterday's press conference and instead expects a repeat level of performance from his men after a quite simply wonderful showing at Molineux the other night.
"It was a performance built on defensive solidity, midfield creation, pace out wide and with a wrecking ball of a centre forward at its tip in Holt, who can cause problems once more this weekend.
"Rovers' defensive performance has almost been as bad as Town's - who are joint worst with Fulham in the division with 20 goals conceded - but their loftier league position is a byproduct of their attacking riches.
"16 goals so far this season is bettered only by the existing top four and will act as a source of frustration to manager Bowyer as he must come to terms with the fact that his defence are costing him the chance of a sustained push for the top six at this moment in time.
"Town themselves have now scored 12 and there are sure to be goals at Ewood Park.
"Much could depend on the blossoming partnership between Hudson and Joel Lynch and whether they can repel the rampant Rhodes, who has four so far this campaign but will miss strike ally Gestede.
"If Town could secure three back-to-back league victories it would completely alter the outlook of their season after such a miserable start but a point would also be a creditable return and I believe they are more than capable of achieving that."
Prediction
Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Huddersfield Town
