Stewart Downing has warned Blackburn Rovers not to let Millwall “bully” them in their Championship clash at Ewood Park this weekend.

The former England international, 35, has played against the Lions four times in his career – all with Middlesbrough – and was last on the winning side last April.

Millwall themselves have not beaten Blackburn in seven attempts, and their last victory came in an FA Cup quarter-final tie in March 2013.

Although Downing is keen to see off Millwall, he is equally aware of the test his team faces when they arrive at Ewood Park.

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He told the club’s website: “We take each game as it comes, and this league is one where anyone can beat anyone.

“The first game [after the international break] is Millwall, and we’ll look to be them before we look any further ahead.

“Over the last few years, whenever I was at Middlesbrough, you knew what you were going to get from Millwall.

“They are a really physical team but they do play to their strengths. They have a way of playing and you have to deal with it.

“They can bully you if you let them, so it’s important for us to attack, get after them and push them back.”

Blackburn, who have collected just seven points from their first six games, entered the international break following defeat at promotion-chasing West Bromwich Albion.

After Bradley Dack opened the scoring with just a minute gone, the Baggies scored three unanswered goals before Bradley Johnson pulled one back in first-half injury time.

Downing, who joined Blackburn on a free transfer, feels it has given them time to reflect and analyse as they take on Millwall, Reading and Luton Town during September.

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He added: “We know we can score goals, and we’re a new team who are still learning about each other, but I feel the early signs are positive.

“Sometimes, the break can come at a good time. The two-week period hasn’t been about sitting around and chilling out, it’s been about learning about one another and working on things to improve.

“It’s been a good couple of weeks but that can only be proved by the next couple of results. It’s a crucial period coming up and it can really help us kick on as a team.”