MAME Biram Diouf will start up front for Blackburn Rovers this afternoon at Stoke City, with Nikola Kalinic dropped down to the substitutes bench.

The Senegalese international is expected to be deployed as the lone striker, with El-Hadji Diouf and Brett Emerton asked to support him from the flanks.

Other than Emerton coming in for Kalinic, Sam Allardyce names the same side that beat Blackpool 2-1 last weekend.

ROVERS: Robinson, Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Emerton, Nzonzi, Jones, Pedersen, EH Diouf, Mame Diouf

SUBS: Bunn, Olsson, Kalinic, Andrews, Benjani, Hoilett, Chimbonda STOKE: Sorensen, Huth, Shawcross, Faye, Collins, Pennant, Whitehead, Delap, Etherington, Walters, Jones

SUBS: Begovic, Higginbotham, Whelan, Gudjohnsen, Fuller, Wilson, Tuncay