Rovers boss Sam Allardyce has come out fighting against Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy for saying certain EPL bosses send their teams out “too fired up.”

He called on Murphy to be “man enough” to “apologise” for comments he made last week about managers, Allardyce included, and their combative attitude, which, Murphy believes, has led to the sort of horror tackles which have littered the game in recent months.

Allardyce said: “We are not like that, and certainly me, this football club or the players have nothing to do with the suggestions made by Danny.”

 

Blackburn currently lie fourth in the EPL’s “fair play” table.

Rovers’ Republic of Ireland midfielder Keith Andrews faces being out of action until the New Year after it was confirmed this week that he requires surgery on a groin tear found by medics when he was on recent international duty.

Andrews has missed all but 20 minutes of the season with a different groin injury which is nonetheless thought related to the new tear.

There was better news on the injury front this week, however, with reports suggesting that fellow midfielders David Dunn and Vincent Grella have resumed training after spells on the sideline earlier this season.

There has been no further progress over the last fortnight with Indian businessman Ahsan Ali Syed’s proposed “£300m” Rovers takeover. None of the other reported bidders have made any public progress.

Rovers host Sunderland in their first EPL fixture after the international break, next Monday October 18^th at 8pm.