GRANT Hanley will captain Blackburn Rovers in tonight’s Championship clash at home to fellow play-off hopefuls Brighton & Hove Albion after the club’s appeal against his controversial sending off at Millwall was upheld by the FA.

Hanley, who was facing a two-game ban, skippers a Rovers side that shows one change to the one which started Saturday’s 2-2 draw at the Den.

Key midfielder Tom Cairney, having been preferred to Luke Varney, makes his first appearance since injuring his ankle in the 1-0 win at Reading on February 22.

In Cairney’s absence Rovers, who include fit-again striker Rudy Gestede on their bench, have won just once.

Brighton come into tonight's match on the back of a run of three straight defeats without scoring.

Seagulls boss Oscar Garcia has made two changes to the team which started their 2-0 home loss to Middlesbrough on Saturday as Jake Forster-Caskey and David Rodriguez replace David Lopez and the injured Will Buckley.

Rovers: Robinson, Keane, Hanley, Kilgallon, Spurr, Cairney, Evans, Williamson, Conway, Dunn, Rhodes. Subs: Eastwood, Kane, King, Varney, Taylor, Feeney, Gestede.

Brighton: Kuszczak, Bruno, Greer, Upson, Ward, Andrews, Forster-Caskey, Ince, Lingard, Rodriguez, Ulloa. Subs: Brezovan, Calderon, Dunk, March, LuaLua, Lopez, Stephens.