Premier League preview: Bolton v Blackburn

22 March 2012 21:42

Blackburn Rovers can continue their march away from the English Premier League relegation zone with victory at Bolton Wanderers.

Blackburn looked near certainties for the drop earlier this season as they floundered under the stewardship of unpopular owners Venky's and manager Steve Kean.

Kean, who was promoted from his role as assistant last season after the sacking of Sam Allardyce, was the subject of several pre-match protests by the Blackburn supporters.

The 44-year-old, along with the club's Indian owners, regularly found himself a target of discontent during matches, while the team struggled badly for results on the field.

But the club's hierarchy kept faith with the Scotsman, and Blackburn have shown signs of recovery in recent weeks.

They have won three of their last five in the league, beating fellow relegation strugglers Queens Park Rangers and Wolverhampton Wanderers, and also sprung a surprise to defeat Sunderland 2-0.

That sequence has seen Blackburn climb to 16th on the table, five points above the relegation zone.

With another match against an immediate rival on Saturday, Rovers have a chance to put further distance between themselves and the bottom three.

Bolton meanwhile find themselves 18th, two points back from 17th-placed Queens Park Rangers, who climbed out of trouble courtesy of an unexpected 3-2 win at home to Liverpool on Wednesday.

Owen Coyle's Bolton, FA Cup semi-finalists last season, have struggled this term, weighed down by injuries and the loss of key personnel.

Last week they suffered a devastating blow when Fabrice Muamba suffered a heart attack in their FA Cup quarter-final at Tottenham Hotspur.

The midfielder survived and is slowly recovering in hospital, but his talents will be missed as Bolton continue their battle against demotion.