ON-LOAN striker Shabani Nonda reckons Blackburn Rovers will overpower AS Nancy tonight if they treat the game like a Premiership encounter.

Rovers have already qualified for the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup following a gritty draw in Rotterdam last month, but they still need a win this evening to finish top of Group E and avoid a potentially tricky tie with a club from the Champions League in the last 32.

Their opponents, Nancy, have been one of the UEFA Cup's surprise packages so far this season, surging to the top of Group E after impressive wins over Wisla Krakow and Feyenoord, whom they beat 3-0 on matchday 4 to confirm their own place in the next phase.

However, Nonda believes they may struggle to cope with Rovers' superior power because he reckons the French League is nowhere near as physical as the Premiership.

The 29-year-old, who spent seven years in France with Rennes and Monaco, said: "Nancy are a good team and they are doing well in the French League.

"Two years ago they were in the second division, but this year they are doing well in the French Premier League.

"I think they are the surprise package of the league, and I think we'll have a tough game against them.

"They are doing well in Europe and in the league also, they play as a group, and they make it difficult.

"For us, we must impose our physical Premiership play on them, and if we do I think we can win."

Nonda's experience of French football may well come in handy as Rovers look to enhance their prospects of going beyond the last 32.

At Monaco, the African was widely regarded as one of the most feared strikers in Europe, and he once scored 26 goals in a season to win the French Golden Boot.

But just when pundits were starting to draw favourable comparisons between him and the legendary George Weah, Nonda sustained a serious knee injury and he hasn't been quite the same player since.

After a promising start to his spell at Ewood, the DR Congo international has managed just a solitary goal in his last 13 appearances - a nightmare run which has put his place in the side in serious jeopardy.

A goal tonight then against Nancy would do much to boost the striker's shattered confidence.

"It is important for us to get the three points and finish in first position, and if I score then I'll be happy, because as a striker you are always happy when you score a goal.

"But the points are more important."

Nonda isn't the only one in the Rovers camp looking to take some confidence from tonight's tie.

After seeing his side lose six of their last eight games in the Premiership, manager Mark Hughes hopes a positive result could help reignite Rovers' season.

"Our European form has been excellent so far and we hope that will kickstart us in the Premier League," said the Rovers chief.

"Our results have obviously been poor in the Premier League, but I'd be more concerned if our overall performances over a length of time were poor.

"We've played 16 games and we've got 16 points. But we should have a hell of a lot.

"If you take a point a game then we'd have 38 points at the end of the season.

"I don't know how many you'd need to stay in the Premier League, but I still think we will finish in the top half."

Nancy coach Pablo Correa, meanwhile, is confident his side can get the point they need to finish top of group E.

"I honestly don't think there are limits to what my side can achieve," said Correa, who was thrilled to see his side reach the last 32 following their win against Feyenoord.

"We know teams will be less surprised by us the further we go in Europe.""

Defender Michael Chrtien also agrees that unity' has been key to Nancy's recent progress, with last season's French League Cup triumph being followed by a rise to seventh place in France this time around.

"There is a strong feeling of unity," he said. "We have been together for a couple of seasons and we love to give our all for each other and work as a team to get the result."