Rovers caretaker boss Neil McDonald named a strong side to face a much-changed Chelsea outfit ... although David Dunn and Keith Andrews missed out through injury.

Blackburn were also without the ineligible Franco Di Santo, but they went with an attacking front three of Benni McCarthy, Jason Roberts and Nikola Kalinic.

Chelsea made the expected wholesale changes, resting seven players from the side that won at Arsenal on Sunday.

John Terry, Frank Lampard, Petr Cech, Ricardo Carvalho, Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole all stood down, with Joe Cole getting another run-out and teenager Gael Kakuta named on the bench.

Blackburn: Robinson, Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Chimbonda, Emerton, Nzonzi, Pedersen, McCarthy, Roberts, Kalinic. Subs: Brown, Givet, Grella, Diouf, Van Heerden, Hoilett, Jones.

Chelsea: Hilario, Belletti, Ivanovic, Paulo Ferreira, Zhirkov, Mikel, Ballack, Deco, Joe Cole, Kalou, Malouda. Subs: Turnbull, Drogba, Matic, Hutchinson, Bruma, Kakuta, Borini.