TONY Mowbray wants the Rovers players to feel the emotion from the Ewood Park stands as his side try and pull off an upset against local rivals Burnley.

Rovers go in to tonight’s Carabao Cup clash with their East Lancashire neighbours looking for their first win over Burnley since 2010.

This evening will be Mowbray’s first taste of the derby, but he admits he has been made aware of the rivalry from supporters and members of his staff.

“Ultimately the passion and the emotion of the game is from the supporters,” Mowbray said.

“They live here, work with people who support Burnley, and have to go to work the next day and either suffer or poke fun at someone on the other half of the divide.

“It is not just another game, the players go to Sainsbury’s to do their shopping and you might get stopped by people who recognise you and they tell you how much it means to them.

“We are all aware of what’s at stake. The players have then got to try and put that emotion on to the grass, every tackle is important, you have to cover every blade of grass to help the team because it means so much to the fans.”

Mowbray’s men will go in to the game as underdogs having not beaten Burnley in six meetings and with a two division gap between the sides.

The Rovers boss added: “I’m trying to temper that with our fans by putting in to context that we are playing against a Premier League side who have just spent £15m on one player.

“With total respect, we are not at that level but we can still make it difficult for them and the longer we can stay in the game and ask some questions of them the more nervous about the outcome they may become.

“The staff around the building have made me aware of the rivalry issues.

“The players will be aware of it, I’m sure people are stopping them in the supermarket and telling them this is the big game and the one they have to try and win.

“The people that have lived this their whole lives make you aware of it and we will look forward to it.

“For us, the challenge is to try and beat a Premier League team. I think we are more than capable of giving them a really good game, as Accrington and Lincoln have done in recent years, and on any given night in a one-off football match, you can give anyone a tough time.

“It won’t be through a lack of trying, we will pick a team that can go and win this game and be really positive and have a go.”