Blackburn Rovers dealt fresh injury blow as Portsmouth trip approaches

Blackburn Rovers are expected to travel to Fratton Park this weekend with their injury problems still growing.

Yuri Ribeiro is likely to miss Saturday’s Championship meeting with Portsmouth after picking up a hamstring injury during Rovers’ 3-1 victory over Millwall.

The 29-year-old left-back was forced off after only 15 minutes at Ewood Park, adding to Tony Mowbray’s growing list of unavailable players. Meanwhile, Ryan Alebiosu was substituted at half-time, although his issue is believed to be illness rather than a fresh injury.

The right-back had reportedly been struggling during the week and missed part of training. The club doctor suspected tonsillitis, meaning Alebiosu is expected to undergo further assessment before his availability for the Portsmouth trip is confirmed.

Blackburn’s injury list continues to grow

Ribeiro and Alebiosu join Mathias Jørgensen, Yuki Ohashi, Scott Wharton, Lewis Miller, Augustus Kargbo and Matty Litherland among those currently dealing with fitness issues.

Speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire, Mowbray explained that Ribeiro had suffered a muscle strain in his hamstring, possibly as a result of the physical demands of recent matches.

The Blackburn boss also suggested that Alebiosu’s problem was more likely to be illness than injury, saying the defender had not felt well during the week and had missed a day of training.

Mowbray added that he was unsure whether the suspected tonsillitis had returned, but indicated that Alebiosu was not believed to be suffering from a serious muscular injury.

The growing list of absentees comes after Blackburn’s proposed move for midfielder Ryotaro Ito collapsed, leaving Mowbray with limited options as he attempts to manage the squad.

Portsmouth also facing injury concerns

Portsmouth have their own selection problems ahead of the meeting at Fratton Park.

Connor Ogilvie and Keshi Anderson have both been unavailable for an extended period while recovering from knee and quadriceps problems respectively.

Josh Murphy is also still sidelined after suffering a groin injury during the club’s match against Lincoln City last month.

The three players are expected to return after the international break. Mark Kosznovszky, who has been out since December, is reportedly targeting a comeback around the start of the new year.