Blackburn versus Portsmouth at Ewood Park on Saturday already looks like a game that Rovers can not afford to lose.
Sam Allardyce's side slipped down to 17th place in the table after a meek 2-0 defeat at Manchester United last weekend in which they never looked like troubling the champions.
Perhaps concern at the previous week's 5-0 mauling by Chelsea and last month's 6-2 thrashing at the hands of Arsenal influenced the defensive side sent out by Allardyce, but they will certainly need to be more offensive at home against the league's bottom club.
Benni McCarthy, Nikola Kalinic and Jason Roberts are all vying to partner Franco di Santo in attack should the home side look to go more expansive.
Creative midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen and Vince Grella are also pushing for recalls following recent returns from injury.
- Premier League fixtures
- Premier League table
All ten of Rovers' points so far this season have come at home and anything other than a victory on Saturday could see the Lancashire club slip into the relegation zone.
Portsmouth arrive in the north west in fine heart following last weekend's 4-0 victory over Wigan Athletic.
Aruna Dindane scored a hat-trick as the south coast club won only their second game of the Premier League season and first on home soil.
Their 4-0 Carling Cup rout of Stoke City a few days previously has led to a sense of optimism around Fratton Park that the rag-tag squad assembled on a shoestring budget by Paul Hart might just be able to stave off the threat of relegation.
Striker Frederic Piquionne - who scored his first league goal for Pompey last weekend - and full-back Steve Finnan are expected to be fit despite picking up knocks last weekend.
Finnan had to be substituted in the first half with a groin problem while Piquionne was stretchered off with his head in a brace after falling awkwardly.
Source: DSG
