Sam eyeing Dunn impact

Dunn: Set to return

Sam Allardyce has spoken of the lift David Dunn will give to Blackburn as the playmaker prepares to return.

The 30-year-old is expected to return from a hamstring injury for the clash with Sunderland on Monday.

After netting 10 goals last term, he has only featured fleetingly this season after picking up a groin strain just nine minutes into Rovers' opening match against Everton.

He then made a substitute appearance against Arsenal in August and Allardyce is now looking forward to getting his playmaker back for an extended run of games in the side.

He told the Lancashire Telegraph: "We are very pleased David is back in training and hopefully he can put together a run of games without picking up any more injuries. We know how important he is to the team, certainly last season.

"He was our best creator, our best goal scorer and a fit David Dunn is massive for us. It looked like he was going to be that at the start of this season because he had never had such a good pre season as he had.

"He didn't miss a day's training, didn't miss a game and we were all excited and looking forward to the new season and unfortunately he picks up an injury, then another one, and almost a quarter of the season has elapsed before we get him back on the field.

"He does give that extra lift. He is one of our most talented players. He is the biggest creator in the final third. He has been missed and perhaps if we had him we would have picked up more points."

Challenged

Allardyce has challenged his side to push on up the table after a solid start to the campaign has seen a return of eight points from the opening seven games.

He said: "I have been pleased with where we are but we have to push on now. It has been a month since we played at Ewood and it has been a long time since we beat Norwich and Everton.

"It will be lovely to get back there and win a game again. It is going to be very, very important for us to try and overcome Sunderland get three points.

"It is a game we have to try and win. We have not played at Ewood Park for a month and that has been a long time. We want to excite the fans and want to get playing entertaining football to give us three points and to leave the fans happy.

"The basis of our success last season was keeping 13 clean sheets. Of course at the other end we want to improve as well because we haven't been clinical enough."