TONIGHT'S MATCH PREVIEW

Alan Smith is suspended so Ferguson may have little option but to extend his Ferdinand experiment, particularly as the arrival of the £7m Serb, Nemanja Vidic, and the recent fine form of Wes Brown offer greater options in defence.

Mark Hughes:

"I hope this one is a similar game because I thoroughly enjoyed the other two games. They were excellent cup ties, games that swung from one side to the other. If this Premiership game is played in the same manner it will be good for everybody.

"I would expect all my players to have a spark. We all need that in our play, and I think we've had that for the majority of the season. We expect to compete but when we have the opportunity to play, we do that as well - as we have proved this year.

"We've set targets which we think are realistic and obtainable and we're on track."

Rooney:

"It has been a few games since I scored. Even though we have won most of the games when I haven't scored, it does affect me.

"So while I am happy for the team, I would like to score as well and hopefully I can do that against Blackburn."

Ferdinand on his midfield role:

"You have to be able to fit in all over the park if it benefits the team. On Sunday, we had a lot of injuries and the manager also decided Darren Fletcher needed a rest, so I went in there. It was an interesting new experience but who knows whether I could step up to that position against an international side?

“I am a centre-half by trade and ideally I would prefer to play there but I will play anywhere for United or England and if the manager calls upon me to do that job again, I will."

On Rossi:

"You can see the genuine quality he has. He makes the difficult things look easy. He's admired by a lot of the players at the club and is never fazed by training or playing with the first-team. That speaks volumes of his talent.

"He was particularly good against Burton. People said they are not that strong an opponent, but I think he re-endorsed the potential he has got in that game. He's a fantastic player with an ability that all the players and the fans appreciate."

The Yonners’ Ryan Nelsen:

"Savage is an experienced player and he knows what’s needed for a game like Manchester United. Alan Smith likes to tackle. He is a tough player and so is Savage. He doesn’t complain about what he gets and what he gives out. It’s just part of the game and I don’t expect it to change at Ewood Park.

"The two games were great for the neutral — real old-fashioned cup ties. But I have to say United probably just edged it over the two games."