ROVERS go gunning for Arsenal on Saturday, looking to put another dent in the Gunners' championship charge and hand out some more capital punishment.

Roy Hodgson's side are unbeaten in three league visits to London this season and have not lost there since going down 2-1 at Tottenham in January when Tony Parkes was in charge.

That five-match stretch includes a 1-1 draw on their last visit to Highbury and so far this term they have picked up maximum points at Crystal Palace and Wimbledon while drawing at Spurs.

Arsenal have slipped from top spot down to fourth place after going through their worst run of the season - which coincided with Ian Wright's six-game goal drought.

Consecutive defeats against Sheffield Wednesday, Derby and Liverpool raised question marks about the Gunners' championship credentials. But Arsenal and Wright were back on track at Newcastle last weekend and the 1-0 victory will have restored Arsene Wenger's beliefs that his side are not out of the title race.

With Wright back on song and Dennis Bergkamp back from suspension, Rovers will be hoping that Colin Hendry shakes of a recurrence of the knee injury which kept him out of action for three games.

The giant Scot made a typical swashbuckling comeback against Bolton last Saturday despite tweaking the old injury in the opening minutes of the derby clash.

He has been unable to train so far this week and has undergone intensive treatment. But Hodgson is confident his inspirational defender will be fit for the top-of-the-table trip.

Hodgson's other main injury worries include Jeff Kenna and Damien Duff. Kenna is still nursing a damaged ankle after Alan Thompson's reckless challenge last Saturday after which the Bolton man was sent off. Duff, who was in sparkling form against Wanderers, picked up a dead leg.

Rovers have another Lancashire derby date to pencil into their diary after drawing Wigan Athletic in the third round of the FA Cup. The clash, which will take place at Ewood Park on January 3, will be a sentimental return for Wigan chairman David Whelan who suffered a broken leg in Rovers' last FA Cup final appearance.

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