Blackburn Rovers have one final opportunity to ensure they're playing Championship football next season. It's do-or-die time.

The nerves are building with Rovers fans knowing the suspense that has built over several months will be over by 3pm on Saturday. The hope is that emotion is replaced by relief rather than devastation.

There is no arguing that Rovers should never have found themselves in this position. Their downward spiral since December has seen them produce relegation form.

In the first 23 matches of the season, they took 31 points. In the subsequent 22, just 19. That's the second-lowest tally in the Championship, above Rotherham United and a point behind Birmingham City.

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But all that matters after Saturday is that they collect one more. Survival is the only thing that is important, the post-mortem can wait, as long as Rovers are above the dotted line.

No team has been relegated with more than 48 points since Rovers went down at Brentford with 51. In fact, only three other sides have gone down with 50 or more since the Championship reformed in 2004/05. Gillingham 04/05, Leicester City 07/08, Peterborough United 12/13 (a record 54) and Rovers 16/17.

They've had more help than most at the top end of the pitch this season too. No side has finished lower than 14th in that same time period with the Championship's top-scorer. Barring a minor miracle, Sam Szmodics will claim that award on Saturday. His main focus is ensuring he's still in the division next season.

Rovers couldn't have a tougher challenge, away at the newly-crowned Champions. It will be a party atmosphere at The King Power Stadium. Whilst survival shouldn't be a cause for celebration internally, everyone is hoping the 2,000 Rovers fans making the journey can at least join in at the full-time whistle.

Despite the difficulty of Rovers' test, they have their fate in their own hands and that is vital. Fans do not need a reminder of what happened in 2017 when they did their job but needed favours from others.

Nottingham Forest and Birmingham City saved their own skin on that day. Rovers must ensure they are the team that holds up their end of the bargain this year.

This time around, they have control of their own destiny and it would be goal difference that would prove their undoing. There would be a cruel irony if a team that hasn't been in the bottom three all season was relegated, considering how avoidable this battle has felt.

Leicester might have little to play for but, if anything, that will take the pressure off. Rovers benefitted from the weight of the Leeds United shirts when they pulled off their remarkable win at Elland Road.

The dynamic is entirely different but the task the same. Rovers have looked at their best under Eustace when facing the better teams. Newcastle United, Ipswich, Southampton, Leeds. 

Eustace has shown he can set up a defensive game plan and Rovers can execute it. Longer-term aims can wait for pre-season and if he wants buy in from the fans, he must ensure that his instructions pay dividends this weekend.