By Alan G
April 2 2006

John Filan is available for the game after recovering from an eye problem. Utility man Ryan Taylor returned for the reserves this week after a foot injury, but may not be quite ready for a first-team return.

Blackburn midfielder Robbie Savage is available after a one-match ban.

Florent Sinama Pongolle is fit again after coming through training, as did Craig Bellamy who has been receiving treatment for a back injury.

Latics are looking to avenge a 3-0 reversal at the JJB in December, with Steven Reid scoring a goal of the season contender.

Paul Jewell:

"With seven games to go, I might just look at one or two options that we've got.

"Next week, hopefully we'll be safe but (possible changes) won't weaken the team and I might look at different things, I might not.

"Looking back, we're a better counter-attacking side - and the home form is something we'll have to address next season.

 

"If we want to do better next year we'll have to do better at home.

 

"Sometimes it's easier to play away from home, because we like to play on the break.

 

"But we've tried to win every game; we haven't sat back; we've taken the game to the opposition and maybe we've taken one or two teams by surprise."

 

Arjan de Zeeuw is in agreement with his manager, as Latics have won their last two away matches and lost the last two home games.

 

The 35-year-old Dutchman said: "We have been more resilient away from home - but we haven't played very well lately and we haven't played how we can.

 

"You go through these phases in the season. There are times when we've played absolutely brilliantly and maybe not got the results; other times we've not been great but scraped a 1-0 win - and we'd settle for that on Monday."

 

Latics’ boss Jewell was also full of praise for Blackburn manager Mark Hughes’ achievements at Ewood Park this season:

 

"They had this reputation in some quarters as being a team of cloggers.

 

"Certainly they're not frightened of putting their foot in if they have to do that. But they're world-class players - top, top players.

 

"They've done it very quietly and without getting much press about it.

 

"Mark's done a wonderful job there; he's got them firing, and they're tough to play against."

 

Latics (from): Filan, Chimbonda, De Zeeuw, Scharner, Baines, Teale, Kavanagh, Bullard, McCulloch, Camara, Roberts, Pollitt, Thompson, Ziegler, Jackson, Johansson.

Blackburn (from): Friedel, Enckelman, Pedersen, Neill, Tugay, Nelsen, Reid, Gray, Savage, Todd, Khizanishvili, Bentley, Kuqi, Emerton, Dickov, Bellamy, Mokoena, Matteo, Sinama Pongolle, Peter.

Referee: Phil Dowd (Stoke-On-Trent)