Adam Armstrong was in the Barnsley side that beat Rovers in 2017, but he’ll be out to punish his former club when they meet at Ewood Park this time around.

Armstrong has been in stunning form this season, with 12 goals to his name in the Championship, only two fewer than Barnsley have managed as a team.

Barnsley were hit by the old-boy curse in midweek, another former loanee in Ivan Toney scoring the only goal of the game in a 1-0 defeat at Oakwell.

Now 23, and into his third full season at Rovers, Armstrong has already doubled the goal tally he managed during the 2016/17 campaign at Oakwell, and tops the Championship goalscoring charts.

Barnsley captain Alex Mowatt, a former team-mate of Armstrong, told the Barnsley Chronicle: “He has been on fire, and he was unbelievable last season too.

“When he was here I thought he was unbelievable and it doesn't surprise me what he's done this season. He's sharp and hard to pick up because he's small as well. I get on well with Arma so it will be good to see him.

“I think will be quite a tight game. They have a really good team." 

The Reds pushed Rovers all the way in last season’s meeting at Ewood, only to be edged out 3-2, but did beat Rovers in the third match after the re-start at Oakwell in June.

Since then, Valerien Ismael has replaced Gerhard Struber as manager, leading his side to four wins in his six matches, and a win at Ewood would see them leapfrog Rovers in the table.

On the threat of Armstrong, who scored from the spot in the win at Preston North End, Ismael said: "Armstrong has big momentum. It is always the same motivation when you play against your former club. You try to give your best. He is a very good player, like a lot of players in the Championship."

Aware of other threats, he continued: "I know some German guys who play for Blackburn and they are very, very good. Lewis Holtby is a key player. (Tom) Trybull played for Werder Bremen and he is a very good technical player. 

"They are a very good team with a clear philosophy, very strong in transition and we need to have a very good defence. We know the strengths and we know where this team is vulnerable.”

Meanwhile, Tony Mowbray has been impressed with today’s visitors Barnsley, not least since the arrival of Ismael last month.

Their four wins under Ismael have come with clean sheets, operating with a 3-5-2 formation.

Mowbray believes Rovers have the firepower to hurt any team in this division, but believes his side must be alert to the counter-attacking threat of the visitors, as well as needing to find a way through what has proven to be a stubborn defence.

“They are a very decent team I would suggest, very well coached, very young and athletic, and they know what they’re doing with the ball,” Mowbray said.

“They play a lot of one-touch football, they have the width from their wing-backs and their centre halves are all massive. They have got elements to their game that are a real threat and that’s why they’ve been getting results.

“It’s easy to talk about ‘little Barnsley’ but they’re very well coached.  They’re a threat and we have to respect them and we will.

“But it’s a game we believe we have the firepower to win the game.”

“I think they are really solid, they play a back five at times, and two midfield players, so you’re trying to break down a seven man block, and with the three strikers they carry, they are a real threat.

“We have to be very conscious our defensive transition and getting it right and stopping counter-attacks. It’s not going to be easy because we can’t allow them to break on us, but also be good enough to break down their block.”