Blackburn Rovers face a stern test against Southampton this week, and they'll have to navigate it with a severely depleted squad. Manager Michael O'Neill has confirmed he does not expect any players to return from injury in time for the crucial midweek clash.

The treatment room remains crowded, with key figures like defenders Scott Wharton and Hayden Carter, alongside Sidnei Tavares, Augustus Kargbo, Andri Gudjohnsen, and Axel Henriksson all set to miss out once more. This leaves O'Neill with painfully few options as his side tackles a demanding schedule of three games in just six days.

"We're unlikely to have anyone back," O'Neill stated, highlighting the compounding challenge of fresh knocks picked up in their last outing. "The game on Saturday was demanding in difficult conditions, and it's a demanding schedule."

With a staggering 13 players currently sidelined, the manager described this as one of the most difficult periods he's ever dealt with, offering "very little scope to freshen the team up." The focus, therefore, shifts to managing the workload of the available players to avoid further injuries.

"The risk is that you'll increase your injury situation if you overload the players too much," O'Neill cautioned. "We have to be sensible... The focus has to be on the players who are fit." Despite the adversity, the boss insists the squad will be ready, concluding, "The most important thing is that we've done the work and we'll be ready to play on Wednesday night."