Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has heaped praise upon Blackburn Rovers striker Jordan Rhodes, insisting that he has "something special" in front of goal.

Rhodes is likely to start against Wenger's side in the Gunners' FA Cup fifth-round clash against Rovers this afternoon.

Wenger has pointed towards Rhodes's impressive goalscoring record as proof of his quality, insisting that he could have had a special career had he joined a big club as a youngster.

"When you look at his record it is quite impressive," Wenger told reporters. "You wonder today what kind of career this boy, would have had if he had gone to a big club at 18 or 19.

"Rhodes has scored 20 goals in 25 games so he must have something special and a big intelligence in the box.

"He has a big level of anticipation and he is a skilful finisher. You don't see him too much outside the box in participation but when you look at his record it is impressive. He can prove [his talent], yes, but I hope not against us."

Rhodes joined Blackburn for a record Championship fee of £8m in 2012.