Image source, Shutterstock

Forget the soggy subplot for a moment, this is a big game in its own right, bigger than it was back in September.

Rovers sit 18th, three points clear of the relegation zone, and though they have taken 13 points from their past seven games, 10 of those came on the road.

In all competitions Valerien Ismael's men have lost seven of their nine games at Ewood Park this season, claiming just four points from their eight Championship games.

After taking only two points from their first four away games this season, Ipswich looked like they had turned the corner, winning the next three straight on their travels, scoring 10 goals and conceding only two, but then came Friday's narrow defeat at Oxford.

How will they respond tonight?

Blackburn players must give their supporters something to cheer when they host Ipswich, says former striker Brett Ormerod.

Only Sheffield Wednesday (two) have taken fewer than Blackburn's four league points at home so far in the second tier this season, but they have the second best away record behind Coventry.

"They get some cracking results away from home but cannot buy a win at Ewood," Ormerod told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"You've got to give your fans something to get behind. Everyone loves someone who works hard - fans can put up with that if they have a bad day at the office. It's when you capitulate and there doesn't seem to be any effort."

Blackburn's only win at home this season came at the end of October, when they beat Southampton 2-1.

Ormerod added: "Every club I've been at, when you're not winning home games, you get booed - it's a joint responsibility for the fans to get behind the players and the players to give something back and get the fans going."

Image source, Shutterstock

It's never been easier to join the conversation, just click the shiny yellow button at the top left of this page to get in touch and get things off your chest.

Of course we always want to know what you make of a fixture, and the prospects for the teams taking part, but tonight, given the ill-fated last meeting in September, we also want to hear about the worst footballing conditions you can remember a game being played in, whether it was your own soggy Sunday morning or a good old orange ball in an FA Cup replay blizzard.

We'll publish the best of your messages throughout the evening, right here.

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk commentator

The ball is rolling, conditions are OK.

There was a lot of rain Sunday into Monday, and I got a bit concerned, but there was lovely sunshine when I arrived into this part of the world this afternoon.

Everything is going to plan, and there are no fears of this game not going the distance.

Defender Darnell Furlong says Ipswich are already over the shock defeat at Oxford and are intent on starting a new unbeaten run.

Town had taken 14 points from six games before Friday's 2-1 defeat at the Kassam, but right-back Furlong told BBC Radio Suffolk: “It’s similar every year, there’s shock results everywhere, our result will have shocked some people against Oxford but it happens, we’d been on a great run before it and it’s simply about starting another good run.

"Morale is good. We got over the defeat very quickly, we put it to bed, we know things we could have done better.

"We were on a great run before so we are not getting too ahead of ourselves or too down, we are very level headed and looking forward to the next run."

Furlong will face Blackburn for the third time this season, having been sent-off late-on in a 1-0 win for former club West Brom on the opening day and then appeared in the ill-fated fixture at Ewood Park on 20 September in his third game after moving to Portman Road.

"It's strange. It’s just another game but I’m sure they’re going to be bang up for it given what happened in the last game," he added.

"It’s obviously tough, you want to finish games but the fact is it got too dangerous, there was a situation where any mistimed tackle and you were sliding through 10 metres, which can’t happen."

Click here for the full interview via BBC Sounds.

Blackburn Rovers defender George Pratt has vowed to stay grounded and work hard to stay in Valerien Ismael's plans going forward.

The 22-year-old was recalled from a loan spell at National League North Chorley last month as Rovers lost Scott Wharton and Hayden Carter to injury and has started the past three games.

"It's massively changed my life," Pratt told BBC Radio Lancashire. "Just wrapping my head around the whole thing has been a lot.

"I just want to keep performing and keep my shirt. When people come back, make it hard for them to get back in the team, and give the gaffer something to think about.

"It's about keeping my head down and feet grounded."

Rovers have picked up just four points at home in eight matches this season and Pratt added: "The lads want to get the home form right. We should make it a fortress, so when you come to Ewood it's a really hard game to get three points.

"It's not massive margins, it's little mistakes or slip-ups, or a first half that hasn't gone well.

"If you look at the table, there's not much in it at all. Six points and we're right up there [in the play-off chasing pack]. In these next three games (home to Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford) to get as many points as we can is vital."

BBC Local Radio

Unfortunately, we cannot bring you live radio coverage of tonight's match online due to rights restrictions.

However, if you're in the area and have a radio close by, then you're in luck!

BBC Radio Lancashire and BBC Radio Suffolk are at Ewood Park to provide all the latest but if you can't listen in, fear not. we'll give you the flavour of their commentary right here in text form so you won't miss out.

Image source, Opta

Rovers boss Valerien Ismael has named an unchanged XI from the one which was stung by a late equaliser at Wrexham on Saturday.

Todd Cantwell is named among the substitutes as he returns after 10 games out with a knee injury and could appear for the first time since 4 October.

He's alongside Sidnei Tavares who missed the game at the Racecourse Ground.

Championship tinkerman Kieran McKenna has struck again, making five changes to the Town side which went down 2-1 at Oxford on Friday.

Darnell Furlong, Sindre Walle Egeli, Marcelino Nunez, George Hirst and Jaden Philogene all drop to the bench.

In come evergreen Ashley Young, Kasey McAteer, Chuba Akpom, Jack Clarke and Ivan Azon.

Image source, Opta

Image source, Shutterstock

"Don't ask me again. Every time I get disappointed. Every time it's push back, push back. I said to Toddy: 'come to me, knock on my door and say I'm ready to play'."

That was Valerien Ismael speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire 74 hours ago in the wake of the 1-1 draw at Wrexham.

Well, 'Toddy' has come a-knocking, skipper Todd Cantwell is in the Rovers squad for the first time tonight after missing the past nine games with a knee injury, one he took to social media to explain to fans amid what he called 'nonsense' speculation about the reasons for his lay-off.

Will he make the starting XI, however? Team news coming right up...

Image source, Opta

• Blackburn have won only one of their past seven league games against Ipswich Town (D2 L4), a 2-0 home win in January 2019 under Tony Mowbray.
• Ipswich completed a league double over Blackburn when the pair last met in the 2023/24 season – the last time either side went on a longer winning run in this matchup was between 1990 and 1992 (6 in a row by the Tractor Boys).
• Blackburn have already beaten Leicester and Southampton in the Championship this season. They last won three consecutive league games against sides relegated from the Premier League the previous campaign in May 2014 (v Reading, QPR and Wigan).
• Blackburn have lost six of their past eight home league games (W1 D1), and haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their past 14 at Ewood Park in the Championship (23 goals conceded).
• Ipswich are unbeaten in their past 12 away league games played on a Tuesday (W9 D3) since a 0-2 defeat to Charlton in League One in December 2021.

Image source, Opta/Shutterstock

They say a week is a long time in football, but even the past four days feels like an age.

Ipswich headed to Oxford United this time on Friday looking for a win over the strugglers to move into the automatic promotion places, even if it was only temporary ahead of the Saturday programme.

The U's 2-1 victory on the night means the best Kieran McKenna's men can do tonight is jump up from ninth to fourth with a win in their game in hand.

If you thought the automatic promotion chase was packed then the play-off race is even tighter, a victory for Blackburn would only take them up a place to 17th, but they would be within six points of the top six.

Defeat, however, would leave them only three points ahead of the relegation zone.

Sheffield Wednesday's uphill battle to survive has become a mountain, or worse, given Monday's additional six-point penalty which left them on -10 points, effectively 28 short of safety with 28 games remaining.

Image source, Shutterstock

Ah the age-old existential question... well, luckily we have an answer for you.

We're here because the original fixture on 20 September was abandoned by ref Stephen Martin in the 79th minute after heavy rain left the pitch waterlogged.

Rovers were 1-0 up through Todd Cantwell's penalty and with a man advantage following Jacob Greaves' red card on 49 minutes when play was halted as the conditions worsened.

The following week the EFL admitted it was an 'incredibly difficult decision' but said the game would have to be replayed in full.

While Kieran McKenna welcomed the news, Rovers boss Valerien Ismael branded the decision 'a disgrace.'

Image source, Getty Images

Welcome along to the penultimate Saturday afternoon of September as newly-relegated Ipswich seek to get on track as they head to fellow slow-starters Blackburn.

Hold-up... there's a Christmas tree in that picture...

It has been 73 days since the original fixture between these two sides fell foul of some unseasonal weather at Ewood Park leading to an abandonment and the controversial and protracted decision that the game would be replayed in full, despite Rovers having led 1-0 with 11 minutes remaining and facing a side down to 10 men.

That replay is tonight, and, you will be pleased to hear, it's cold and dry, for now...

It is shaping up to be an important one, so let's get straight into it...