Blackburn Rovers Face Preston Crisis as Tony Mowbray Rules Out Hayden Carter and Scott Wharton

Atcheson was sent off after receiving a second yellow card during Rovers' victory over Lincoln City and will now serve a one-match ban at Deepdale.

The problem for Mowbray is that Blackburn finished that match with Sam Morsy playing at centre-back, having had no senior central defender available on the bench.

And the manager has now made it clear that Carter and Wharton will not provide the obvious solution.

Mowbray rules out Carter and Wharton

Asked whether either defender could return against Preston, Mowbray was unequivocal.

Neither is ready.

The Blackburn boss stressed that the club have a responsibility to protect both players rather than throw them straight into a high-pressure Championship fixture simply because the squad is short of options.

Carter and Wharton must first build up their fitness through training, with Under-21 matches potentially forming part of their return to competitive action.

That leaves Mowbray with a very different problem to solve.

Who can Blackburn play at centre-back?

Mowbray has already outlined several possibilities.

One option is to move a midfielder into defence, as Blackburn did against Lincoln.

Another is to hand an opportunity to young defender Decandia, who was on the bench.

Mowbray also suggested a third possibility: retaining one recognised centre-back and surrounding him with two other players in a back three.

The decision will be worked on during training before the final call is made.

But the manager acknowledged that the Preston game presents a completely different challenge from the one Blackburn faced against Lincoln.

Against Lincoln, Mowbray felt the experience of Morsy and Fourshaw gave him enough confidence to use a midfielder alongside Sean at the back.

He does not expect the same solution to be as straightforward at Deepdale.

Why the Preston situation is different

The key issue is not simply that Blackburn are short of centre-backs.

It is where the shortage is being exposed.

A Lancashire derby against Preston brings a completely different level of pressure, intensity and physical threat.

Mowbray therefore cannot simply assume the makeshift solution that worked against Lincoln will translate directly to Deepdale.

That is why Blackburn's training sessions this week become particularly important.

The manager needs to decide whether to trust the inexperienced option, move an established midfielder into defence or alter the entire defensive shape.

Atcheson's red card adds to the problem

Mowbray believes Atcheson's second yellow was harsh.

The 19-year-old was attempting to disrupt the initial ball into the striker when he wrapped his leg around his opponent, but the referee showed a second yellow after the forward went to ground.

Mowbray did not view it as a particularly serious challenge.

However, the Blackburn boss also accepted that Atcheson needs to learn from the experience.

At 19, mistakes of judgement are part of his development, and Mowbray remains convinced the youngster has a major future ahead of him.

The immediate consequence, though, is significant.

Blackburn have lost another centre-back option just as they prepare for one of their biggest fixtures of the season.

What happens next?

Mowbray now has a week of training to find an answer.

Carter and Wharton will not be rushed.

Atcheson is suspended.

Connor O'Riordan and George Pratt have also gone out on loan.

That leaves Blackburn having to improvise.

Whether that means a midfielder at centre-back, Decandia making his opportunity count or a tactical switch to a back three, Mowbray knows the solution has to be good enough for Deepdale.

And that makes Saturday's team selection one of the most intriguing Blackburn decisions of the season.

The derby has already created a defensive problem for Mowbray. Now he has to find a solution without two of the players who would normally be expected to solve it.