Blackburn v Everton (Via bbc)

Blackburn v Everton

Barclays Premier League
Venue: Ewood Park Date: Saturday, 14 August Kick-off: 1500 BST
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, commentary on BBC Radio Merseyside 95.8 FM, 1485 MW & DAB, Final Score & highlights on Match of the Day
TEAM NEWS
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce must decide whether to play Nikola Kalinic and Chris Samba, both of whom missed most of pre-season through injury.
Manchester United loanee Mame Biram Diouf is also short of game time, while a calf problem rules out Vince Grella.
Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini has recovered from a long-term ankle injury but lacks match fitness and could begin on the bench.
Tim Cahill is expected to play despite missing Australia's midweek friendly.
Blackburn
Doubtful: Mame Biram Diouf, Kalinic, & Samba (all match fitness)
Injured: Grella (calf)
Everton
Doubtful: Cahill (knee), Fellaini (match fitness)
Injured: Anichebe (knee)
MATCH PREVIEW
Blackburn have finished in the top half of the Premier League table in four of the last five seasons, success built mainly on their consistent home form.

We have put together a side we want to keep. We think we have a pretty good team and we don't want to get rid of it
Everton boss David Moyes
Everton were one of only three sides to take maximum points from Ewood Park in 2009/10, winning 3-2 in April. Sam Allardyce's men have an early opportunity to avenge that defeat, and pull off a repeat of their opening-day win away to the Toffees in 2008/09.
Like Allardyce, Everton boss David Moyes has been fairly quiet in the transfer market this summer, with former Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford the most high-profile arrival at Goodison.
Arguably more important is that the Toffees have hung on to key duo Mikel Arteta and Phil Jagielka. Basque playmaker Arteta has demonstrated his commitment by signing a new five-year deal, while England defender Jagielka says he "loves" playing for Everton despite reported interest from Arsenal.
That will be a relief to Toffees fans, who will recall the disruptive impact of Joleon Lescott's protracted move to Manchester City last August. Everton lost three of their first four league games last term, including a 6-1 thrashing from Arsenal on the opening day.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• These two founding members of the Football League first met in November 1888, with Blackburn winning 3-0 at their old Leamington Road ground.
• Everton are unbeaten in their last six league games at Ewood Park, though four have been drawn.

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Blackburn
• Defeat to Everton in April is their only loss in their last nine league games.
• Rovers scored 59% of their league goals last season from set-pieces - the highest figure in the top flight.
• David Dunn was statistically the Premier League's best finisher last season. He converted 31% of his chances last term, a better ratio than any other player who had at least 25 efforts on goal.
• Blackburn used 110 substitutes on Premier League duty last season, more than any other top-flight side.
Everton
• Everton are unbeaten in 11 league matches since losing 2-1 at Tottenham in February, their longest unbeaten run since 1986.
• The Toffees were the only Premier League team who did not concede a goal from a penalty last season. Both spot-kicks awarded against the club were missed.
• Had the Premier League started on 1 January, Everton would have finished third, three points behind first-placed Manchester United.
• Everton and Chelsea both scored a league-high 16 headed goals in 2009/10.
LEADING GOALSCORERS LAST SEASON

Blackburn
Dunn: 10 goals (9 league); Kalinic: 7 goals (2 league)

Everton
Saha: 15 goals (13 league); Cahill: 10 goals (8 league)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Phil Dowd
Assistant referees: Glenn Turner & Patrick Keane
Fourth official: Lee Mason
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
Blackburn (W1-0 v Aston Villa, a): Robinson, Samba, Givet (Jones 63), Olsson, Salgado, Hanley, Dunn, Linganzi (Pedersen 46), Andrews, Roberts (Emerton 86), Hoilett. Subs not used: Brown, Jacobsen, Grella, Kalinic.
Everton (W1-0 v Portsmouth, h): Howard, Hibbert, Baines, Jagielka, Distin, Arteta (Heitinga 84), Pienaar, Osman, Rodwell (Yakubu 55), Saha, Anichebe (Bilyaletdinov 66). Subs not used: Turner, Yobo, Heitinga, Senderos, Baxter.