Stewart Downing knows of the tough test Millwall will pose, but believes it’s a game Rovers must target if they have top six aspirations.

Rovers have won one of their opening three Ewood fixtures, but with four home matches in their next six, have eyes on putting a run together.

That starts with the visit of Neil Harris’ Lions, but winger Downing isn’t looking beyond tomorrow’s game in the search for points.

“Someone said to me ‘you should win your next four games’ but if never happens like that. We should have won our opening game but that never happened,” the 35-year-old said.

“We take each game as it comes, you have to perform, this league is tricky and one where anyone can beat anyone.

“The first game is Millwall and we’ll look to beat them, the manager has stressed that no game is easy.

“But they are games that if you have aspirations of being in the top six then you have to win these games, but that’s easier said than done.”

Millwall are two points and five places better off than Rovers and have lost just once in their opening six matches. They will undoubtedly pose a threat from set plays, given the physical presence in their side, something Downing says Rovers must stand up to.

“Over the last few years whenever I was at Middlesbrough you knew what you would get from Millwall,” he said.

“They are a really physical team but they play to their strengths but they do it really well and you can’t criticise them for that. They have a way of playing and you have to deal with it.

“They can bully you if you let them, but we have to be strong and play our game and attack them, get after them and not let them settle.”

Rovers suffered defeat at West Brom in their final game before the international break, despite going ahead inside 30 seconds.

Three goals conceded in 18 first half minutes set them back, and despite an improved second half showing, in which Downing hit the post and Bradley Dack had a goal disallowed, Rovers fell to defeat.

On the start to the season, Downing said: “We could have had a few better results in there but performance wise I think we’ve done quite well. Generally there have been good signs.

“We started off ever so well at West Brom, but the last 40 minutes of the first half was poor,” he added.

“In the second half we improved, but ultimately didn’t defend well enough.”