Blackburn boss Mark Hughes insists his side will fight to the end to secure European qualification.

Rovers lost more ground yesterday as they were held to a draw - their second in succession - by Tottenham at Ewood Park.

The result has left them eighth in the Barclays Premier League with just five games to play and, with the next three against top-six sides, their hopes of reaching the Intertoto Cup are receding.

Hughes said: "We are still in the mix, we have got five games to go and are still challenging for things. That's where we want to be at this stage of every season.

"We are competing and want to be trying to achieve things right to the very last Sunday of every season.

"Villa have got difficult games, so have we, but it is up to us to just concentrate on what we can do.

"We have always done reasonably well at Anfield and I am sure United target Blackburn at Ewood as a key game in their run-in. We feel they will respect us as we will them."