JUSSI Jaaskelainen will pit himself against the safest hands in the Premiership at the Reebok.

Reebok boss Sam Allardyce believes Blackburn goalkeeper Brad Friedel is the best there is at the moment, but he is tipping Jaaskelainen to close the gap during the rest of the season.

Jaaskelainen is Wanderers' undisputed number one despite suffering a slight drop in form from last season when he took the Premiership by storm.

He has talked it through with Allardyce who is backing the big Finn to recapture last season's quality.

"Jussi is not quite one hundred per cent on his game," the Wanderers manager explained.

"He has not peaked like he did last year.

"I have spoken to him about it and the details are between me and him but I hope he will get back to those standards."

Jaaskelainen will come face to face with the man Allardyce believes is setting the standard the rest have to follow when Blackburn visit the Reebok on Saturday.

He rates Friedel the is the best in the business on current form and the most influential figure in the Rovers team.

"You have to pick out Friedel as the main reason why Blackburn are where they are in the Premiership," Allardyce declared.

"He is awesome and without a doubt the best goalkeeper in the Premiership.

"His all round goalkeeping skills are fantastic and it must be a crushing blow for Liverpool to have let him go because they have spent £13 million on two goalkeepers and neither of them are as good as he is."