Dann unfazed by battle scars

Blackburn captain Scott Dann knows he may have to go through the pain barrier to earn a place in the FA Cup semi-finals - and he has the scars to prove it.

Dann led from the front as Rovers battled to a 0-0 draw in Sunday's last-eight clash at Millwall, playing on after Rob Hulse's flying elbow left him requiring stitches above his right eye during the first-half.

The former Birmingham centre-back addressed the media, sporting his scar and further marking below the eye, ahead of Wednesday night's replay at Ewood Park and played down his bumps and bruises.

"It's alright, it's a little scratch," he said. "You get them along the way so I'll just get on with it. "It was a tough game physically and we didn't expect anything less.

"We knew that was the way it was going to be down there and, with it being the FA Cup, we knew that we'd have to be up to the challenge.

"They had maybe the best chance of the game but we're still in the cup and we've got a home tie to look forward to."

A live weekend television audience witnessed a blood-and-thunder affair lacking in quality between the npower Championship counterparts and Dann wants the replay to be contested on Rovers' terms.

"That was one of the biggest things we took from the game, we knew it was going to be a battle and it was going to be high-tempo and in-your-face," he said.

"Maybe we didn't get the ball down and play the way we would have liked to for the majority of the game.

"Coming back to Ewood Park, having a home tie and a home crowd behind us, we'll be looking more to play our own style and hopefully that'll be enough to get us through to the semi-finals."

The 26-year-old will lead Rovers for the first time in a home game since boss Michael Appleton handed him the armband at the expense of veteran midfielder Danny Murphy.

Although Dann has not had chance to discuss Appleton's decision with his experienced team-mate, he is in little doubt that he can rely on the former England international's support during the season's closing weeks.

"We've been away for a couple of days in London and on Monday we didn't do much in training, so I haven't spoken to him about it and obviously he'll be disappointed the way things have gone," Dann added.

"But I think that's football, you just have to get on with it and move on and I'm sure he will, I will and everyone else will.

"He's obviously an experienced pro and he's a good lad as well.

"He knows his football and I'm sure if I needed to speak to anyone he'd be there to have a good chat with."

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