All the action from tonight’s matches as Aston Villa and Blackburn battle it out for a place in the Carling Cup final, while in the Premier League Arsenal can go top if they beat Bolton and Liverpool attempt to close the gap on Tottenham
• Blackburn’s club doctor says procedure went well
• Manager should be back in charge for Liverpool game
The Blackburn Rovers manager, Sam Allardyce, is expected to be discharged from hospital tomorrow after undergoing heart surgery today, the club have confirmed.
Allardyce, 55, underwent an angioplasty, a procedure to correct narrowing to one branch of his coronary arteries.
The Blackburn club doctor Phil Batty said: “The procedure has gone well and Sam is expected to be discharged from hospital tomorrow.”
Allardyce said: “I would like to thank everyone who has sent messages of goodwill and the entire cardiology team.”
The former Bolton and Newcastle manager, who has missed Blackburn’s last two matches, will be absent from the dug-out again tomorrow when Rovers host Stoke City at Ewood Park in the Premier League, with his assistant Neil McDonald again taking charge of the team.
It is not yet known whether the manager will be fit enough to return to his duties ahead of Wednesday’s Carling Cup quarter-final against Chelsea, although it is anticipated that he will be back in time for the Premier League game with Liverpool at Ewood Park on 5
Surviving for three years is the key to Premier League longevity, according to Stoke manager Tony Pulis, and his hard-working, no-frills Potters are already looking a safe bet to make it safely to the end of year two. That some supporters would like to see the team play with a touch more style, and ideally feature Tuncay Sanli from the start, is unlikely to affect the Welshman’s thinking as he seeks to bring to an end Blackburn’s run of five successive home victories. Captain Abdoulaye Faye returns after suspension and should go straight back into the side. Richard Rae
Venue Ewood Park
Tickets £17-29 (0871 222 1444)
Last season Blackburn 3 Stoke 0
Referee H Webb
This season’s matches 7 Y20, R0, 2.86 cards per game
sportingbet odds Blackburn 9-10 Stoke 13-5 Draw 12-5
Blackburn
Subs from Brown, Salgado, Grella, Emerton, McCarthy, Chimbonda, Nzonzi, Hoilett, Van Heerden, Olsson, Doran, Giannakopoulos, Kalinic
Doubtful Emerton (knee), Givet (thigh), Olsson (virus)
Injured None
Suspended None
Form guide LWWLLW
Disciplinary record Y20 R1
Leading scorer Dunn 5
Stoke
Subs from Simonsen, Wilkinson, Griffin, Higginbotham, Cort, Sidibe, Pugh, Diao, Whitehead, Tuncay, Arismendi
Doubtful None
Injured Amdy Faye (back, unknown)
Suspended None
Form guide WLDWWD
Disciplinary record Y26 R1
Leading scorers Beattie, Etherington 2
Match pointers
• Stoke have not won at Blackburn since March 1986 when a solitary goal from Carl Saunders proved sufficient to secure a 1-0 victory
• Blackburn have been caught offside on more occasions (49) than any other side in the Premier League
• Stoke have both scored and conceded 11 goals in their last 11 league games
• If selected, Brett Emerton will be making his 200th Premier League appearance
• 23% of Stoke’s passes this season have been long balls, the largest proportion in the top flight
Blackburn RoversStoke CityPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk
