Blackburn boss reveals why Balazs Toth was left out against Sheffield United

Tony Mowbray has explained why Balazs Toth was left out of Blackburn Rovers’ starting XI against Sheffield United, while suggesting the goalkeeper could return this weekend.

The Hungarian goalkeeper missed Blackburn’s previous two matches against Lincoln City and Preston North End but returned to the substitutes’ bench for the clash with Sheffield United.

Mowbray revealed that Toth’s absence was largely related to his fitness rather than a decision based purely on selection. Although the 27-year-old was considered fit enough to be among the substitutes, the Blackburn boss did not want to take unnecessary risks by immediately putting him back in goal.

The manager also stressed that he prefers to avoid regularly changing goalkeepers, particularly after Aynsley Pears had helped the team keep a clean sheet in one of Toth’s previous absences.

Mowbray felt Toth had not trained sufficiently to justify an immediate return and was concerned about the possibility of aggravating a soft-tissue problem during the match.

Pears, however, has faced criticism from sections of the Blackburn support following Tom Cannon’s equaliser against Sheffield United.

The goalkeeper was also fortunate in the second half when Sam McCallum’s effort slipped through his grasp, only for Yuri Ribeiro to clear the ball off the line.

Despite those concerns, Toth could now be in contention to reclaim his place for Blackburn’s next fixture.