Blackburn Rovers will be without Aynlsey Pears on Saturday whilst Sondre Tronstad has been ruled out for a couple of weeks.

The goalkeeper missed Tuesday night’s draw with Millwall due to illness. It’s now emerged Pears took a knock to the head in training and will be out due to concussion protocols.

Callum Brittain and Ryan Hedges are being assessed but are unlikely to be involved in the match. The latter has missed the last three games with a groin injury but is back on the grass, whilst Brittain also suffered a groin issue in midweek.

The biggest blow is that Tronstad will not be back until after the international break. The midfielder suffered an ankle injury against Newcastle and has missed the last two matches.

He’ll now be out for Saturday’s vital game against Plymouth Argyle and the trip to Middlesbrough on the 16th of March.

“Aysnley Pears will be missing again on Saturday, I think,” Esuatce said.

“He took a bit of a knock the day before in training and he had concussion symptoms. So we have to be careful on that.

“There are a couple that are on the grass but I don’t know if they will be available at the moment.

“Hedges has been working really hard to get in a position where he can be available. He has a very small chance of being available this weekend.

“Joe (Rankin-Costello) is still three of four weeks away and Sondre is probably a couple of weeks away too.

“Everyone came through the match on Saturday apart from Callum Brittain. We will have to assess him.

“Again, that will be touch and go. We have a lot of tired bodies, a lot of players who have played a lot of minutes where they’ve had to.

“We’ve needed to rest them but they have really gone to the well for us. We’ll probaly have to ask them to go again on Saturday. Everyone is fighting and putting 100 per cent in.”

Pears’ absence means Leopold Wahlstedt will once again be between the sticks. The Swedish goalkeeper has been called upon perhaps more than expected in his first season in English football.

“That’s where we are, it’s an opportunity for him to step up and claim the number one shirt,” Eustace said.

“He didn’t have much to do the other night but what he did was fine. It’s another opportunity on Saturday to perform and do well.”

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