Blackburn injury concerns for Sunderland fixture as Rovers wait on two key players - with three ruled out

Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson hopes both Sam Gallagher and Lewis Travis will be available to face Sunderland this week.

Gallagher picked up a calf issue during Saturday’s 2-1 win over Middlesbrough, while Travis took a knock on his ankle in the same match.

Both players were substituted in the second half but remain in contention to play against Sunderland at Ewood Park on Wednesday.

“It’s still early days, but we know Sam has a bit of a history with injuries,” Tomasson told RoversTV after the match.

“I hope he came off on time but we don’t know the extent of it yet.

“Then you have Trav, a warrior who made that important tackle in getting that injury.

“I hope he’ll be ready for the next game, but I haven’t seen that report on him yet. They are two important players for us.”

Blackburn are still without defender Sam Barnes (thigh), while striker Niall Ennis (knee) and midfielder Arnor Sigurdsson (groin) have also been sidelined.

Summer signing Sondre Tronstad wasn’t named in Rovers’ squad against Middlesbrough, with Tomasson selecting midfielders Jake Garrett and Rankin-Costello on the bench instead.

"It was a selection choice," Tomasson told The Lancashire Telegraph when asked about Tronstad. "On the bench, I went for Garrett and Joe who can play in the midfield. That was my choice."

Blackburn are eighth in the Championship table, level with Sunderland on 10 points, after six league games this season.

The Black Cats will travel to Ewood Park after consecutive victories over Southampton and QPR.