CRAIG Bellamy looks set to lead the Blackburn Rovers attack against Sunderland tomorrow even though he is wanted by police for questioning in connection with an alleged assault on a teenage girl in a nightclub.

As stories emerged regarding an alleged incident that took place at the Number 10 night spot in Cardiff 10 days ago, Bellamy trained as normal with his Blackburn team-mates at Brockhall yesterday.

The 26-year-old Wales star and another man have subsequently been asked to attend a Cardiff police station for questioning.

However, Rovers boss Mark Hughes is still hoping to include the player in his plans for the game against the Black Cats, providing the former Newcastle striker is in the right mental state to continue up front.

Hughes is also planning to welcome back Norwegian winger Morten Gamst Pedersen, who missed Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Everton due to injury.

Pedersen tweaked his knee last week, which forced him to miss the trip to Goodison, but he was back in training again yesterday and he should be fit in time to face Sunderland.

After back-to-back defeats at West Brom and Everton, Rovers are in desperate need of a win to get their European charge back on track.

But for that to happen, Hughes knows his players have got to start tightening up defensively following two poor performances on the road.

"We are not giving ourselves a platform from which to win football matches and until we start doing that, and start getting that defensive base, which is something we've always prided ourselves on, then it's going to be difficult," said the Rovers boss.

"We work on defensive work day in, day out in training and we've done that ever since I came through the doors, so it's not something we are not working on."It's about application and belief in what we are doing and then concentration. At the moment, that concentration isn't as good as it needs to be, both individually and collectively.

"Our performance (at Everton) wasn't anyway near where it needs to be to win Premier League games.

"The important thing from our view now is we've got a game against Sunderland back at Ewood and we've really got to come out of the traps and start producing performances that we know we are capable of."

Tomorrow night's game has now taken on even greater significance following West Ham's 3-0 win over Birmingham last night.

That result lifted the Hammers into sixth position and they currently hold a four point gap over Rovers in the battle for a European spot.

Asked if the Sunderland match has become bigger given recent events, Hughes added: "Absolutely. It's our game in hand and we've got to take whatever opportunities present themselves."