Good evening and welcome to LIVE coverage of Blackburn against Sunderland from Ewood Park.

Pedersen rolls the ball to Dann before Bridge cuts out a pass. Pedersen penalised for a foul on Vaughan. Teams continue to get the ball on the deck.

Larsson swings over a decent corner for the visitors, but Robinson is out quickly to clasp the loose ball. Confident piece of goalkeeping.

Fine run by McClean down a flank. Throws over a fine cross, but Hanley is there to head out of the danger zone with Bendtner lurking.

Olsson twins looking to combine down the home side's left flank. Rovers with a young team out tonight, and they look very energetic.

Blackburn have not kept any clean sheets in their last 15 Premier League games at Ewood Park. At least we should be in for a few goals tonight.

So unlucky for Yakubu with that chipped attempt. He is seeking his 14th goal of the season in the league tonight. Blackburn chasing back-to-back wins in the league for the first time this term.

Pedersen with the corner as Blackburn pile on the pressure. A bit of pushing in the area. Respite for the Black Cats.

Gardner and Bendtner try to combine for Sunderland before Blackburn break to the other end. Off the line by Bardsley! Lovely ball by Hoilett to Yakubu, who chipped the ball over Mignolet. Bright start by Rovers.

A debut tonight for Kyrgiakos at the heart of the visiting defence as Bardsley nods the ball back to Mignolet in the Sunderland goal.

Blackburn can go six points clear of the relegation zone with a win. Sunderland get us off and running at Ewood Park.

Teams out on the pitch, and we are almost ready to go.

Odds for tonight's match: Blackburn 11/8, Sunderland 2/1, Draw 23/10.

Sunderland have drawn 99 games in the Premier League era. The Black Cats have won four and lost none of the last seven meetings with Rovers in the Premier League.

Martin O'Neill: "It's a completely different outlook from my first game (also against Blackburn). I was genuinely fearful for our position back then. I'd been at Wolves and watched the game (when Sunderland lost 2-1), and watched us take the lead, but I knew from the minute we missed the penalty that we might lose the game. You just felt it. And of course they lost that match, and Wolves went on to 14 points and we were stuck on 11. (Wolves) have not moved on greatly since then."

Steve Kean: "We found ourselves on the end of a result in Martin (O’Neill)’s first game in charge so we feel as if we owe them one and if we continue to play the way we are playing there is no reason why we can't. We let ourselves down a little bit in terms of defending too deep and in the last couple of minutes we were hanging on for a point until Seb Larsson bent in a free-kick. We are playing well at the moment so we will get after them. Martin has done fantastic since he went there."

Sunderland full-back Phil Bardsley is fit. The former Manchester United defender has shaken off a rib injury to retain his place in the team, although left-back Kieran Richardson has been ruled out with the calf problem which kept him out of Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final draw at Everton. Striker Stephane Sessegnon completes his three-match ban and will be available for Saturday's league clash with QPR. Defenders Wes Brown (knee) and Titus Bramble (Achilles/calf) remain on the sidelines.

Blackburn manager Steve Kean has virtually a fully-fit squad. Defender Bradley Orr missed the win at Wolves last time out with a hamstring problem but has returned to training and played in a practice match last week. He is on the bench this evening. Midfielder David Dunn has recovered from an Achilles injury and is on the bench. Only Vince Grella is unavailable.

Teams: Blackburn: Robinson, Lowe, Dann, Hanley, Martin Olsson, Nzonzi, Pedersen, Formica, Hoilett, Marcus Olsson, Yakubu..subs: Bunn, Givet, Dunn, Modeste, Petrovic, Orr, Goodwillie////Sunderland: Mignolet, Bardsley, Kyrgiakos, Turner, Bridge, Larsson, Gardner, Vaughan, McClean, Bendtner, Campbell..subs: Gordon, Wickham, Kilgallon, Colback, Ji, Meyler, Elmohamady////Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)