• Indian businessman ready to approach Premier League
• Takeover could be complete by mid-September

Ahsan Ali Syed is expected to complete the due diligence process of his proposed £300m takeover of Blackburn Rovers in the next few days, with the Bahrain-based businessman ready to approach the Premier League to complete the requisite documentation.

Julia Thiem, spokeswoman for Western Gulf Advisory, Syed’s investment company, saidsaid: “We are progressing well and hopeful of completing the due diligence process this week. It’s fingers crossed for that. Then we will approach the Premier League to complete the paperwork needed. We also have to make an offer to the minority shareholders of the club.”

Asked when Syed may complete and hold executive power over Blackburn, Thiem said: “It is a little more complicated because of [the majority] of the club being owned by a trust. The lawyers say this could make the deal longer to conclude. We hope it could be done by the middle or end of September. But it is difficult to know at the moment.”

While Rovers’ majority shareholder is the Trustees of Jack Walker, the late owner, Syed’s immense wealth – he said he owns more than 130 companies and estimates his fortune at more than £8bn – suggests financing the deal should not be a problem.

Syed outlined his ambitions for RoversBlackburn in an interview with the Guardian this month. He said: “There’s huge potential. We need to be more innovative. If you go back in history [Manchester] United and Real Madrid started somewhere. They did not start as giants.

“The first step is to maintain Premier League status, enhance the capabilities of the academy, see if there lies potential to increase the seating of the stadium, help Big Sam [Allardyce] with the transfer budget and to market the club rightly in other parts of the world, specifically in India, the far east and Middle East.”

Blackburn RoversBusinessJamie Jacksonguardian.co.uk

Home form was key for Birmingham City last season – they will hope to kick off in the same vein this afternoon. It will be a strange day for Matt Derbyshire, who joined Birmingham on loan from Olympiakos earlier this week, and begins life with Blues against his former English club. ‘I had a fantastic time at Blackburn, it’s a nice club, the club I supported as a boy,’ said Derbyshire. ‘I know most of the players and they know me, but you’ve got to put it behind you and concentrate on winning the game for Birmingham.’ John Ashdown

Venue St Andrew’s, Saturday 3pm

Tickets £20-40 (0844 557 1875)

Last season Birmingham 2 Blackburn 1

Referee M Oliver

This season’s matches n/a

Odds Birmingham 13-10 Blackburn 12-5 Draw 23-10

Birmingham

Subs from Doyle, Taylor, Míchel, Fahey, Murphy, Vallès, O’Connor, Derbyshire, Parnaby, O’Shea, Bent, Mutch, Gardner

Doubtful None

Injured Phillips (thigh, 12 Sep)

Suspended None

Form guide D

Disciplinary record Y3 R0

Leading scorers Dann, Ridgewell 1

Blackburn

Subs from Brown, Bunn, Jacobsen, Chimbonda, Emerton, Andrews, Roberts, Doran, Hoilett, MB Diouf, Gunning, Fielding

Doubtful Olsson (knee)

Injured Dunn (groin, 24 Aug), Grella (calf, 28 Aug)

Suspended None

Form guide W

Disciplinary record Y2 R0

Leading scorer Kalinic 1

Match pointers

• The last eight meetings between these sides have all ended in a home win

• Birmingham have scored eight goals against Blackburn in their last four league meetings, five of which came from Cameron Jerome

• Blackburn have kept a clean sheet in three of their last four Premier League away games

• There were fewer goals scored at St Andrew’s last season (32) than at any other Premier League ground

• Blackburn recorded the lowest pass completion (49%) of any side in the division on the opening weekend

Premier LeagueBirmingham CityBlackburn Roversguardian.co.uk