Blackburn captain Ryan Nelsen is tired of near misses in domestic cup competitions.

Rovers host Chelsea in the Carling Cup tonight having bowed out of the tournament at the same stage for the last two years.

During Nelsen's time at the club, Blackburn have also twice reached the FA Cup semi-finals, and the defender hopes the team will be ready to seize the moment this time around.

"In the five years I have been here, we have got really close on a number of occasions and it becomes really frustrating," Nelsen said.

"When you get to this level, it is about taking your chances and hopefully they will fall for us.

"If we can do what we need to do at both ends of the park, then hopefully we can sneak through."

Blackburn will also be looking to make amends for the 5-0 defeat they suffered at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season.

Several members of the squad had swine flu at the time and Nelsen believes they will now be able to give a much better account of themselves in front of their home crowd.

"The team that played Chelsea a few weeks ago should have been on a sick bed more than on a playing field, so we will be fresher," Nelsen continued.

"Chelsea have the quality to beat any team by any score and they proved that on Sunday against Arsenal. We know what we are up against - an extremely good team.

"But at Ewood Park, I think we are a bit of a different story.

"The home form since Sam Allardyce has been here has been perfect - we have lost only twice and it's pushing on for a year now.

"Chelsea coming here will always put out a strong side but it is a game we are really looking forward to."

If Blackburn are to progress, Nelsen and his backline are likely to have to deal with the threat of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, who have 20 goals between them for the season.

After netting a spectacular brace against Arsenal at the weekend, Drogba is in particularly ominous form, and Nelsen knows he will not be able to let his guard slip for a second against the Ivorian.

"They (Drogba and Anelka) are both world-class players but we have played against both those players several times before and we know what they are about," Nelsen said.

"The difference with these guys and any world-class player is that if you give them one chance, they normally take it, whereas a lot of other people need a few more chances.

"I think it showed against Arsenal - Drogba was in and out of the game but when he was given the opportunity to score he did."

David Dunn misses out for Blackburn with the calf problem he sustained against Stoke at the weekend, while assistant manager Neil McDonald will again take charge of first-team affairs in place of Allardyce, who is recovering from heart surgery.