Norwich v Blackburn predictions: Canaries can keep on climbing

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Blackburn Rovers v Norwich City in the Championship on Saturday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event & Football, 5.30pm Saturday

Best bet

Norwich
2pts 4-5 general

Team news

Norwich
Todd Cantwell, Marcelino Nunez and Aaron Ramsey have returned to training but Sam Byram remains absent.

Blackburn
Callum Brittain has joined Jack Vale and Sam Barnes on the sidelines. Harry Pickering is a doubt after missing out last weekend.

Match preview

Norwich had to dig deep to secure a much-needed 1-0 success at Swansea last weekend but they are likely to be far more comfortable when taking on promotion rivals Blackburn at Carrow Road.

Dean Smith's side rose to fourth after their success in south Wales, which was clinched by Teemu Pukki's first-minute goal.

But the Canaries' ambition is to finish inside the automatic promotion places and it is imperative that they continue applying the pressure on leaders Burnley and second-placed Sheffield United, who are nine and six points better off.

Smith's players had to show their resilience against Swansea, who were camped in their half for much of the game, but they will be targeting a front-foot performance against Rovers as they go in search of back-to-back wins for the first time since September.

Blackburn are a point above Norwich but their confidence has been knocked by a couple of dismal derby defeats.

They signed off for the World Cup break with a 3-0 loss away to Burnley and were not at the races for large parts of last Saturday's 4-1 defeat at home to injury-hit Preston.

There was a lack of intensity to Blackburn's play last weekend and they looked disjointed in the wingback positions with left-sided Harry Pickering missing out entirely and right-sided Callum Brittain hobbling off after just eight minutes.

Injuries appear to have exposed a lack of depth in Jon Dahl Tomasson's squad and that may contribute to a third successive loss this weekend.

Key stat

Blackburn have lost seven of 11 Championship away games this season

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