Preview: Huddersfield Town vs. Blackburn Rovers - prediction, team news, lineups

Like their hosts, Blackburn will also be desperate to claim all three points after losing back-to-back matches in the Championship.

Match preview

Huddersfield are still searching for their first win of December after drawing three and losing two of their five games that have taken place this month.

The latest of those two losses arrived at the weekend when goals from Norwich City's Sam McCallum and Borja Sainz condemned the Terriers to a 2-0 away defeat, leaving them in 21st place and two points above the drop zone.

After suffering their fifth away loss of the Championship season, Huddersfield will now return to the John Smith's Stadium, where they have collected just 11 points from their 12 home league matches - only Queens Park Rangers and Millwall have picked up fewer points on home turf this season.

Having failed to score more than one goal in any of their previous five home matches, Darren Moore's charges need to find a cutting edge in the final third if they are to start picking up wins in front of their own supporters.

With the hosts in need of inspiration, they can draw confidence from the fact that they are unbeaten in their last seven home games against Blackburn (W3, D4).

While 14th-placed Blackburn are 11 points better off than their hosts, they head to Yorkshire off the back of a poor run of results.

Jon Dahl Tomasson's side have lost four of their previous five matches (W1), including their last two against Southampton and Watford.

After being thrashed 4-0 by the Saints, Blackburn looked set to bounce back with a victory when Adam Wharton gave his team an early lead in Saturday's home clash with Watford.

As it proved, they were ultimately left empty-handed, as Mileta Rajovic and Rhys Healey scored a goal apiece in the final 10 minutes to turn the game in Watford's favour and leave Blackburn to reflect on a second straight defeat.

Following that disappointing result, Rovers will now turn their attention to a meeting with Huddersfield, where they will attempt to claim an away victory over the Terriers for the first time since winning 4-2 in March 2014.

Huddersfield Town Championship form:

W

D

D

L

D

L

Blackburn Rovers Championship form:

W

L

L

W

L

L

Advert - content below:

Team News

The hosts are expected to be without Josh Ruffels, Matty Pearson, Ollie Turton, Kian Harratt and Pat Jones due to injury.

Huddersfield forward Danny Ward could be absent for a second straight game after he missed the defeat to Norwich with an Achilles problem.

Goalkeeper Chris Maxwell is expected to continue between the posts, with Lee Nicholls currently following concussion protocols.

As for the visitors, they are unable to call upon the injured quartet of Joe Rankin-Costello, Ryan Hedges, Sam Gallagher and Tyrhys Dolan.

Blackburn are hoping to have Sammie Szmodics and Harry Pickering available after the pair missed the 2-1 loss to Watford due to fatigue.

Callum Brittain is available following a one-match suspension, and the 25-year-old is expected to come straight back into the starting lineup.

Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:

Maxwell; Lees, Nakayama, Helik; Jackson, Kasumu, Rudoni, Hogg, Headley; Burgzorg, Thomas

Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:

Wahlstedt; Carter, Hyam, Wharton, Pickering; Wharton, Tronstad; Moran, Szmodics, Brittain; Ennis

We say: Huddersfield Town 2-2 Blackburn Rovers

Huddersfield and Blackburn have both found wins hard to come by in recent times and with two of their last three meetings finishing all square, we think that the two sides could play out a draw in the Boxing Day fixture.

Previews by email