Football: Blackburn `ready to bounce back'

Blackburn will tomorrow attempt to boost their championship hopes against Crystal Palace, following their surprise defeat on Monday night by Manchester City.

Colin Hendry, a dominant figure at the centre of the Blackburn defence this season, will be missing through suspension, and Tim Sherwood, the Rovers captain, is also ruled out by a one-match ban for accruing 41 disciplinary points. However, Hendry has no doubts that his team-mates will get back on course for the title.

"It will be interesting to see how we respond, but knowing the character of the lads, they'll have a right go and bounce back. Of course there was disappointment after the City game, but there wasn't any despondency. Getting beaten was a blow, but I don't think it was anything to do with nerves.

"I don't think a lot of people would have thought Manchester United would have drawn on Monday and we'd have got beaten, but as Alan Shearer said, there's going to be a lot of twists and turns before the end of the season. There's eight possible twists and turns because we've both got four games each."

While City provided the partial miracle Alex Ferguson, the United manager, had been hoping for, their German striker, Uwe Rsler, believes that even Monday's defeat will not stop the title going to Ewood Park.

"I still think Blackburn will win the championship," Rsler said. "I think they are strong enough. They've got a great team, and they've also got a great manager in Kenny Dalglish. I'm sure he'll inspire them - and we need them to win against Palace as well."