Blackburn sweat over Ryan Alebiosu fitness ahead of crucial West Ham United showdown

Blackburn Rovers defender Ryan Alebiosu is a doubt for Saturday’s Championship meeting with West Ham United after suffering an injury setback in Tuesday’s defeat to Stoke City.

The Nigerian international was forced off during the first half of Blackburn’s 2-1 loss, raising concerns about his availability for the encounter at Ewood Park as the club awaits further medical assessments.

Alebiosu’s condition remains uncertain, with head coach Tony Mowbray revealing that the right-back was still struggling with the injury when he reported for the team’s meeting.

The 24-year-old is expected to undergo a scan to establish the severity of the problem and determine whether he will be fit to feature against West Ham.

His potential absence would be a concern for Blackburn, who could be without one of their defensive options for an important Championship fixture as they look to respond to their midweek setback.

Mowbray provides worrying update on Alebiosu

Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Mowbray admitted that Alebiosu’s condition had not improved significantly since he was substituted against Stoke City.

The Blackburn manager disclosed that the defender was visibly struggling when he arrived for the team’s meeting, with medical examinations needed before a decision could be made on his availability.

“He came into the team meeting limping pretty heavily. I think he’ll probably have a scan. I don’t know; let’s wait to see it,” Mowbray said, as quoted by Lancashire Telegraph.

The scan is expected to provide a clearer indication of the nature of the injury and whether the Nigerian will require time on the sidelines.

Blackburn are therefore monitoring the situation closely, with the outcome of the assessment likely to determine their defensive options for Saturday’s fixture.

West Ham clash still possible for Nigerian defender

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his fitness, Mowbray has not completely ruled out Alebiosu’s involvement against West Ham.

The Rovers boss acknowledged that the right-back could still recover in time, although he cautioned that the medical findings would ultimately determine whether he could be considered for selection.

“I don’t want to speculate; there’s every chance he could be out there on Saturday. But if the scan shows something specifically, he probably won’t be,” he added.

Blackburn will hope the injury is not serious enough to rule the defender out of the weekend encounter as they prepare to return to action following their defeat to Stoke.