Norwich City will look to continue their renewed charge for the automatic promotion spots in the Championship when they face Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Tuesday evening.

The Canaries go into the match in fine form having picked up 13 points from the last 15 on offer, a run that has seen them climb to fifth in the table, just four points adrift of second-placed Middlesbrough.

Those above them have dropped points with increased regularity in recent weeks, and Alex Neil will be confident that his side can catch the pace-setters in the remaining 14 matches of the campaign.

An extra incentive lies in the fact that they are now just one place and one point behind bitter rivals Ipswich Town, and any slip-up from the Tractor Boys at home to Birmingham City on Tuesday night will give Norwich the chance to leapfrog them in the table.

Even if Ipswich do their bit, Norwich will have the opportunity to do the double over their near neighbours on Sunday when they face off in the East Anglian derby at Carrow Road.

For all of their aspirations of a late title challenge, though, Neil will also be aware that the race for a playoff place is far from over, with seventh-placed Brentford just a point behind his side, albeit with a vastly inferior goal difference.

That column was helped again at the weekend courtesy of a 3-0 win away at rivals Watford, with Lewis Grabban grabbing a brace and Cameron Jerome also scoring in an impressive second-half performance from the visitors.

That made it four clean sheets in their five-match unbeaten run, and this weekend they are bidding to win five games in a row for the first time since January 2010, when they achieved the feat on their way to the League One title.

A second consecutive away game will not trouble a team who have picked up just two points fewer on their travels than they have at home this season, particularly as they are on a four-match unbeaten streak on the road.

However, they have lost their last three visits to Ewood Park and are winless in their last five, while their 3-1 victory over Rovers in the reverse fixture is their only league triumph in their last 10 meetings.

Neil must decide whether to rotate his side with Ipswich awaiting on Sunday, but he will still be without Ryan Bennett, Elliott Bennett and Gary O'Neil due to injury.

Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe will be part of the squad, while new arrival Graham Dorrans joins the likes of Nathan Redmond and Gary Hooper in pushing for a starting role.

Blackburn had their own aspirations of pushing for a playoff place before the season began, but once again inconsistency has been the major stumbling block in reaching that goal.

Gary Bowyer's side are now 12 points adrift of the top six, and his priority for the campaign may well now be the FA Cup, with a quarter-final against Liverpool at Anfield looming.

Rovers have failed to build on their 4-1 victory over Stoke City in the last round, however, rescuing a late draw against Cardiff City before being held by rock-bottom Blackpool at the weekend.

They have now gone four matches without defeat, their longest run since November, but would need to be almost faultless in the final 14 games to launch a late playoff charge.

Blackburn do have a decent record at home this season, with only five teams having amassed more points in front of their own fans, while FA Cup victories over Premier League duo Swansea City and Stoke have also contributed to a five-game unbeaten streak at Ewood Park.

The draw with Blackpool last time out was a frustrating one for Bowyer, however, and he could opt to make one or two changes for this match as he looks to keep his squad fresh.

Joshua King is among those pushing for a start having replaced Rudy Gestede from the bench at the weekend, while Tommy Spurr could drop back out of the side, having started his first match of the season last time out.

Blackburn:

Form in Championship: LWLWDD
Form in all competitions: WLWWDD

Possible starting lineup: Steele; Baptiste, Hanley, Kilgallon, Olsson; Cairney, Spearing, Evans, Conway; King, Rhodes

Norwich:

Recent form: LDWWWW

Possible starting lineup: Ruddy; Whittaker, Martin, Bassong, Olsson; Howson, Tettey, Dorrans, Redmond; Grabban, Jerome

Sports Mole says: 1-2

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