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Tony Mowbray has warned his Blackburn Rovers players that they must be prepared for a battle when they visit Sincil Bank on Tuesday evening. The Imps return home following Saturday’s impressive 1-0 victory at Bolton Wanderers, our first Championship win of the season. Chris Cohen described that performance as a “proper Lincoln City away performance”, with City demonstrating the resilience and organisation needed to withstand sustained pressure before taking all three points. Blackburn will provide another significant test, although Mowbray must manage a depleted squad through two difficult away fixtures this week. The experienced head coach, now in his second spell at Ewood Park, watched City’s narrow defeat at Middlesbrough earlier this month and believes he knows what his players should expect. Speaking ahead of the game, Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph that his side had to recover quickly from their latest defeat. “It’s always tough straight after a defeat, but they come in, they recover with ice baths and massages to go again. “We paint the pictures of what is coming. I watched Lincoln live at Middlesbrough a few weeks ago and they’re very direct: long throws, free-kicks into the box.” That physical challenge prompted Mowbray to reach for some rather dramatic imagery. However, he was also keen to stress that City possess more than set-piece strength and direct play. “You have to head the ball, get ready with your sword and your shield with your tin helmets on. They are a good football team, I have to say. “They play the percentages. The stats would say that they’re the best at set-pieces in the country, or around that. They got promoted with a huge amount of set-pieces last season.” Set pieces were undoubtedly an important part of our promotion success, but the Imps have already shown an ability to adapt at Championship level. The defensive discipline displayed at Bolton was particularly encouraging, while the cup victory at Blackpool demonstrated the depth and versatility available to Chris and Tom. Tuesday’s fixture will be the first league meeting between the clubs since January 1958, when they drew 1-1 at Sincil Bank. There have been four cup encounters since then, the most recent ending in a 4-1 League Cup victory for Blackburn at Ewood Park in August 2018. Mowbray intends to ensure his players embrace the challenge rather than shrink from it. He also hopes Blackburn’s individual quality can ask difficult questions of an Imps side returning home with renewed confidence. “We know what is coming. We have to go there and look forward to it. We have to let our talent cause them problems and I hope our individuals on the pitch make it uncomfortable for them. “We will be ready for the game.”