Everton v Blackburn Match Preview And Betting

Goodison Park, Saturday, 10 February 2007, 3pm

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Everton will be without Leon Osman after the midfielder picked up a fifth yellow card.

Loan signing Manuel Fernandes could make his debut, having been an unused substitute in the Merseyside derby.

Morten Gamst Pedersen will miss out for Blackburn after picking up a hamstring injury on international duty so David Dunn could come in.

Stephen Warnock is suspended, but Andy Todd should be available to return after recovering from illness.

Everton against Blackburn is a local north-west derby between two founder members of the Football League, who find themselves adjacent to each other in the Premiership table, challenging for Uefa Cup places.

The Toffees have lost just one of the last seven League outings, and are unbeaten in three. They've kept clean sheets in five of those seven Premiership matches.

The Toffees won this fixture 1-0 last February despite being forced to play with 10 men from the ninth minute after third choice goalkeeper Iain Turner, making his League debut, inexplicably picked the ball up well outside his penalty area and was shown a red card.

Blackburn Rovers are playing their fifth away game in six outings, and are bidding to swap places with Everton. They've recorded one more Premiership victory than the Toffees, even though they're one rung lower on the League ladder.

Mark Hughes has witnessed defeats for his side against clubs from either end of the table (Watford and Chelsea) in their last two away games, and will want to avoid a hat-trick here, ahead of Wednesday's visit to Bayer Leverkusen in the Uefa Cup.

Rovers are returning to Goodison Park were they humiliated Everton in the FA Cup last month. Rookie striker Matt Derbyshire scored the first in the fifth minute in a third round 1-4 victory. These sides are all square in the League standings at 54 wins each, with 29 draws.