PREVIEW: Nobody can hide the fact that this weekend's match will be a very hard one for Tottenham Hotspur, who will play at Ewood Park, hoping to revitalise their away form which has proved costly so far this season.

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Tottenham are yet to win away from home this season, and travelling to Blackburn is not going to be easy. Mark Hughes' established team, who finished just behind Spurs last season (5th and 6th respectively) are looking to put a stop to a poor run of league form. Blackburn have lost their last four matches in the league, and have scored just a single goal.

Tottenham's six matches on away turf this season have produced four losses and just two draws, in which they have scored only two goals. The game therefore promises to be tight from both teams, and may only be separated by a single goal.

Spurs can take plenty of positives already from Blackburn's bad luck this season when it comes to injuries. It is no surprise that Wael Gomaa is a target for Rovers, who have had a number of injuries at the back. Although Andy Todd returns, Zurab Khizanishvili and star player Lucas Neill are both injured, meaning almost certainly that Michael Gray will play at left-back. Gray has looked a little sluggish this season, and this is good news for the Egyptian Hossam Ghaly, who may be starting on the right side of midfield.

Ghaly is indeed set to play, with Aaron Lennon missing out with a knee injury. Jermaine Jenas is also ruled out of the game, meaning that Ghaly could however get a chance in the centre, depending on Martin Jol's way of thinking.

On the other hand, Ghaly could even slot into the right side of the defence, because both Pascal Chimbonda and Paul Stalteri are unavailable. Jol may choose to comprise the midfield of Zokora, Huddlestone, Davids and Murphy, putting Ghaly into right-back for the game. Should this be the case, Ghaly is also lucky that Morten Gamst-Pedersen is injured; the Norwegian winger poses a threat to any right-back, but will be replaced by bright youngster Sergio Peter.

Injury problems may have hit the clubs hard, and Martin Jol has indicated that he wants Spurs to 'play hard'. The Dutch manager is aware of just how physical the game may be, and has urged his team to start getting tougher in away matches. It is a lack of physical play, according to Jol, which has resulted in the poor away form of Tottenham.

Meanwhile, the front is as unpredictable as ever for Tottenham. No striker has really shone this season, and with Mido just recovered, it is probable that he will come on in the second half. For Blackburn, two African strikers pose great threat, namely Benni McCarthy and Shabani Nonda. The latter replaced Mido at Roma when the Egyptian was loaned out to Spurs, but finds himself now on loan at Blackburn. McCarthy's career and form are good, and Mido himself has warned about the South African on the club's website, dubbing him "a very good striker with a very good finish."

On the whole, much depends on the midfield of Blackburn. The game is going to be very hard-going, and it is fair to say that whether Robbie Savage plays or not will make an indescribable difference. If he does, it may well be Rovers' day, as Savage will fight for every ball and make use of Spurs' lacklustre play away from home. If not, which is possible, as he is just recovering from a thigh injury, Tottenham can take the game in the midfield. South Africa's captain against Egypt earlier this week - Aaron Mokoena - will take Savage's place if needed, but he has simply not provided the same impact as the Welshman.

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