91Èȱ¬

Ex-Blackburn striker Kevin Gallacher believes home games against Derby and Huddersfield will be season-defining matches for Gary Bowyer's side.

Rovers slipped into the relegation zone for the first time this season after losing 3-2 at Sheffield Wednesday.

They are a point from safety with six Championship fixtures remaining.

"Blackburn have struggled at home this season, but they are two games that I would expect them to take six points," Gallacher told 91Èȱ¬ Radio Lancashire.

"I said before the Sheffield Wednesday game that they really need a minimum of seven points from those three games.

"They've not got anything from the first one, so it's a definite six points [needed] from two massive relegation battles for Blackburn."

Rovers have not won in the league since 9 February and in any competition since defeating Arsenal in the fifth round of the FA Cup seven days later.

Caretaker manager Bowyer, who has overseen a draw and two defeats since taking temporary charge for the second time this season, has a different view to Gallacher.

Speaking after Saturday's loss at Hillsborough, he said: "The next six games will [determine if Blackburn will survive]. If we win the next two games, nothing's guaranteed from that. The next six games are going to decide our fate.

"Not to come away with anything [at Sheffield Wednesday] is a blow but I think we can take a lot of positives. At 2-2, I thought there were only one team that was going to win it and that was us.

"The game in hand [over most of their relegation rivals] is going to be important and goal difference is going to be important. If we compete and play like we did [on Saturday] we'll be fine."

Blackburn have the best home record of any team currently in the bottom eight of the Championship, having taken 29 points from their 20 matches at Ewood Park.