Under Michael O’Neill, Blackburn Rovers have widened their lead above the relegation zone, but they have yet to confirm their Championship status.

The Lancashire club is on the verge of relegation to League One, but a recent string of victories has given them a six-point lead over 22nd-place Leicester City.

After Valerien Ismael was fired in February, O’Neill took over as manager of Northern Ireland.

The 56-year-old has overseen four wins in ten outings, and Blackburn is now unbeaten in their past four games.

Rovers will be trying to get over the line in the next few games to escape relegation to League One for the first time since 2018.

The club has five games remaining to confirm its survival, and they have got a significant boost ahead of this weekend’s return to action.

Blackburn Rovers confirmed a double injury boost.

O’Neill has stated that Eiran Cashin and Connor O’Riordan could return to the Blackburn squad for this weekend’s game against Stoke City.

Cashin missed the Easter weekend double, while O’Riordan hasn’t played since February 7th, a 2-0 defeat to Norwich City.

The Rovers manager has disclosed that the players have been practicing on the pitch this week and are hoping to make the bench against the Potters.”Well, we’re hopeful at this point,” O’Neill told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“Connor O’Riordan and Eiran Cashin were both on the grass [Thursday], which was a plus.

“Their training needed to be supervised and controlled as well.

“They might be bench players this weekend, if not starters.

“So, we just see how things go for them in the next 24 hours, if there’s no reaction and they can train tomorrow, they’ll come into contention.”

Under Michael O’Neill, Blackburn Rovers have widened their lead above the relegation zone, but they have yet to confirm their Championship status.

The Lancashire club is on the verge of relegation to League One, but a recent string of victories has given them a six-point lead over 22nd-place Leicester City.

After Valerien Ismael was fired in February, O’Neill took over as manager of Northern Ireland.

The 56-year-old has overseen four wins in ten outings, and Blackburn is now unbeaten in their past four games.

Rovers will be trying to get over the line in the next few games to escape relegation to League One for the first time since 2018.

The club has five games remaining to confirm its survival, and they have got a significant boost ahead of this weekend’s return to action.

Blackburn Rovers confirmed a double injury boost.
Michael O’Neill, Blackburn Rovers
O’Neill has stated that Eiran Cashin and Connor O’Riordan could return to the Blackburn squad for this weekend’s game against Stoke City.

Cashin missed the Easter weekend double, while O’Riordan hasn’t played since February 7th, a 2-0 defeat to Norwich City.

The Rovers manager has disclosed that the players have been practicing on the pitch this week and are hoping to make the bench against the Potters.”Well, we’re hopeful at this point,” O’Neill told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“Connor O’Riordan and Eiran Cashin were both on the grass [Thursday], which was a plus.

“Their training needed to be supervised and controlled as well.

“They might be bench players this weekend, if not starters.

“So, we just see how things go for them in the next 24 hours, if there’s no reaction and they can train tomorrow, they’ll come into contention.”

How significant will Eiran Cashin and Connor O’Riordan be in Blackburn’s final five games? Share your thoughts below.

Ryan Hedges has also returned to training, however an appearance against Stoke is unlikely at this time.

Injury has hampered the 30-year-old’s playing time this season, and he hasn’t appeared for the club since January 1st’s 2-0 loss to Wrexham.

A broken leg has kept him out of the team for the past three months, but he is close to returning, which will be another encouragement for O’Neill.

Meanwhile, Augustus Kargbo is still absent after experiencing a setback in his recuperation from a thigh injury.

Blackburn are six points from the relegation zone, lying 19th in the table with only five games remaining.

If Rovers earn 10 points from their final encounters, they will be mathematically safe, regardless of other outcomes.

O’Neill’s side will begin that job on April 11 at 3 p.m. against Stoke, followed by games against Southampton, Coventry City, Sheffield United, and 22nd-place Leicester.

Blackburn’s injury boost arrives at the right time.

Blackburn are only a few games away from surviving relegation from the Championship, and they will be hoping for all hands on deck in the remaining games.

Cashin has been a valuable addition to the squad since joining on loan in January, whereas O’Riordan has not had much of an impact since returning from Doncaster Rovers.

The pair’s return provides some defensive cover and gives O’Neill alternatives off the bench against Stoke, which may be critical.

However, Hedges will need to be managed as coming back from a broken leg isn’t easy, so he may only receive limited minutes in these final fixtures, if at all.