Blackburn's Marcus Antonsson has returned from injury five weeks quicker than anticipated.

The Swedish striker who is on loan from Leeds United is raring to go as he intends to help Rovers return straight back to the Championship.

Prior to his injury, which he picked up in a 2-2 draw with Scunthorpe United, he had scored seven goals in 22 league games as well as a solitary goal in the FA Cup.

Antonsson came off the bench in the recent 2-0 victory over Bury which saw them move above Shrewsbury Town and Wigan Athletic to the top of the table.

His return will be a welcome boost for Tony Mowbray because it gives him the potential to rotate between Antonsson, Adam Armstrong, Dominic Samuel and Danny Graham as his chief striking options.

In a recent interview with the Lancashire Telegraph, Antonsson expressed his delight at being able to return: "I'm very happy both to be back and the result. I’ve been working hard the last seven weeks and happy to come back and get the win."

He also seemed to revel in the added competition for places throughout the squad with the acquisitions of loanees Jack Payne and Adam Armstrong in January: "I think they are really good lads who have come in to the group and we’re just getting better and better. The competition within the group is so good and it’s really healthy at the moment"

The Verdict

Rovers are in a great position with 13 games remaining, but the situation at the top is really tight with only three points separating the top three teams.

They also have a key game coming up against Wigan at home, which Shrewsbury will be hoping to capitalise on.

Therefore, the margin for error is slim but having another proven goalscorer will certainly help the team in the remainder of the season.