P'boro v Blackburn preview

P'boro v Blackburn preview

Published Nov. 16, 2012 7:15 a.m. ET

Peterborough pair Gabriel Zakuani and Emile Sinclair are available for Saturday evening's Championship clash with Blackburn at London Road.

Centre-half Zakuani and striker Sinclair were two of four players, along with Tyrone Barnett and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, fined and transfer-listed by Posh this week following a "breach of club discipline".

Zakuani has since been removed from the transfer list while Sinclair remains on it for "footballing reasons". The fines for those two players have also been rescinded after the PFA got involved. Club-record signing Barnett will not be considered for Saturday's game while winger Mendez-Laing has been shipped out to Portsmouth on loan.

Elsewhere, defender Mark Little is nursing a knock and left wing-back Tommy Rowe is rated at 50/50 as he nears a return from the ankle injury that has kept him out in recent weeks.

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Ahead of the game, manager Darren Ferguson told the media: "The team I put out on Saturday will not be affected by anything going on with anyone else in the squad.

"In fact, the approach of the players has been brilliant. They are focused on beating Blackburn and nothing else. It's obviously been a distraction I could have done without, but fair play to the players they have just got on with their jobs and they have impressed while doing it."

Henning Berg hopes to have Jason Lowe and Gael Givet at his disposal when he goes in search of a first win as Blackburn manager.

Lowe recently came back from a hamstring injury and was withdrawn from England Under-21 duty as a precaution in midweek but is expected to be fit for action at London Road.

Givet is yet to feature under Berg having suffered a leg injury in training on the eve of the 43-year-old's first game in charge against Crystal Palace, although the French defender is also hopeful of being involved.

Martin Olsson, Jordan Rhodes, Grant Hanley and Simon Vukcevic have all returned from international duty unscathed, while Colin Kazim-Richards could feature in attack following a muscle strain.

Rookie right-back Adam Henley is set to continue having started all three games since Berg's arrival. The man the 18-year-old displaced, Bradley Orr, joined Ipswich on loan this week.

Portugal Under-21 winger Fabio Nunes returned as a substitute in last weekend's 1-1 draw with Birmingham after time out with a hamstring problem and is pushing for inclusion once more.

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