Leopold Wahlstedt is hoping to grab his opportunity and become Blackburn Rovers number one with Aynsley Pears on the sidelines.

The 25-year-old was initially ruled out for four weeks after injuring his ankle against Leicester City. That gave Wahlstedt an opportunity to make his Championship debut against Coventry City.

He followed that up with a clean sheet at Queens Park Rangers before the international break in a 4-0 win for Rovers. Supporters have been impressed by the early signs from the summer addition.

Wahlstedt is desperate to grab the chance in front of him with both hands, if you pardon the pun, and ensure he keeps the shirt when Pears is fit again.

“In football, you have to be ready when you get your chance,” he said.
“I’ve had an opportunity to play and I’m looking forward to developing and building those relationships with all my team-mates.

“We’ve been a lot more solid as a team in the last two games and it’s important because the Championship is such a tough league.

“There is a difference in teams in the league. Some are more direct and some are more possession-based.

“I’m enjoying life because it’s a really great league to play in. We’ve had some days off and it was nice to go home (during the international break), but we’re ready to go again against Cardiff.”

Rovers have six games in the next 20 days but have been boosted by the return of Adam Wharton, Harry Leonard and Niall Ennis. Jon Dahl Tomasson will provide an update on the squad on Friday when he hosts his pre-match press conference.

The team currently sit 17th in the Championship table with 13 points from their first 11 matches. They face Millwall on Tuesday night before another Welsh clash against Swansea City at Ewood Park.