It’s time to roll up our sleeves – Blackburn boss Steve Kean bullish ahead of Manchester City visit

EPL : Steve Kean, Blackburn Rovers v West Ham (Getty Images)

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Steve Kean has urged Blackburn Rovers to ‘roll up their sleeves’ ahead of their home fixture against Manchester City on Monday.

Rovers are near the drop-zone on 35 points with five matches left, and their manager is seeing every remaining fixture as a cup final.

Kean has also urged his side to get results rather than to put in a string of eye-pleasing performances.

“We’ve five cup finals to come and it is about concentration, it is about rolling up our sleeves,” the Rovers manager said to the club’s official website.

“We have to make our tackles, we have to get on the ball, we have to make passes, we have to do the right things and minimise our mistakes.

“We have to approach this game and the one against Bolton in the same manner as we did in the match against Liverpool.

“In that we were up and at them straight away, we didn’t let them settle, and then our quality shone through for all to see.

“We need to be like that on Monday night.

“It is lovely to win and to play nice football, but at this stage of the season and with the position that we are in it is only about winning.”

Kean is hoping that his team can take all three points at home instead of sharing the spoils for a fourth match in a row.

“Historically over the last few seasons we haven’t lost too many at Ewood but we haven’t won as many games at home this season as we would have like to,” he said.

“We’ve drawn plenty, West Ham, Newcastle, Blackpool, Birmingham when we would have liked to have turn those into wins.

“But since the turn of the year we’ve only lost once on our home patch in four months so it is going to be a tough place for anybody to come.”

The Blackburn manager also touched upon the injury status of a few of his players ahead of the visit from the league’s most expensive side.

“We are confident that Junior Hoilett will be back,” Kean said. “He missed the last game with a bit of fluid on his hamstring but that is clearing up.

“We are without Roque because he can’t play against City, we are also without Steven Nzonzi who serves the last of his suspension and we’ve Ryan Nelson and Vince Grella missing.”

Blackburn are hovering above the relegation zone in 15th place on 37 points. Manchester City are holding on to European qualification for next term in fourth place on 57 points.