Kean: Rovers are on the up

Kean: Rovers are on the up

Published Jan. 20, 2012 1:16 p.m. ET

Rovers travel to Everton on Saturday with Kean confident that they can pull off another unexpected away win - even with top scorer Aiyegbeni Yakubu suspended against his old team.

Blackburn beat Manchester United at Old Trafford and drew with Liverpool at Anfield last month, and have scored in every one of their away matches in the league this season.

Kean said: "I feel as though we are on the up, scoring goals and with people like Paul Robinson coming back into the side and Scott Dann has had a full week of training. All of a sudden there is a competition for places that can only be good.

"We have scored in every away league game this season so we should be able to go to Everton and get a result.

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"David Moyes has done an absolutely fantastic job over the years on a small budget, and their gritty determination to get results means it is always a tough place to go.

"I know he has a couple of injury problems at the moment and he's going to have to deal with that but I'm sure he will put out a side that's competitive and hard to break down.

"But I feel we are on the up and are capable of going there and getting another good result."

Yakubu is suspended for three matches and Kean said they had considered appealing against his red card, imposed for a studs-up challenge on Fulham's Danny Murphy, but after taking advice had decided not to run the risk of the Nigerian striker being given a longer ban.

He added: "The Yak will be a big loss. We all know that he is not a nasty player who is not going to leave his foot in deliberately on anyone but you can't say 'will you take his red card away because he is a nice guy'.

"By the letter of the law it was a red card and we have to accept that - if we appealed there was a danger they could add a game on."

Yakubu's absence makes it more likely that new loan signing Anthony Modeste could make his debut on Saturday - if he receives international clearance in time.

The 23-year-old striker has moved from Bordeaux where his career stalled after high expectations following six goals in 15 games from France Under-21s.

Dann is also in contention for a return after recovering from a groin injury while Kean will judge Chris Samba's mental state after the defender had a transfer request turned down before deciding whether to include him.

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