Blackburn Rovers

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Blackburn will hope to end a four-game winless run in the Championship when they welcome Millwall to Ewood Park on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Rovers have won just one of their opening six games (D2 L3) and sit one point above the drop zone at this early stage of the season.

The Lions bounced back from two heavy defeats to Southampton and Wrexham with a convincing victory of their own last time out - beating Bolton 4-0 - and will be targeting a promotion push once again.

• Blackburn Rovers have won each of their past three league games against Millwall, last winning four in a row in November 1990.

• Millwall are winless in 10 league visits to Blackburn (D3 L7) since a 2-0 victory in November 2012 under Kenny Jackett.

• Blackburn have lost their previous two league games, last losing three in a row in April 2025 (run of 5).

• A victory for Millwall here will make this the first time the Lions have won as many as four of their first six games of a league season since 1997-98.

• Millwall's Alex Neil has lost five of his past seven league games against Blackburn Rovers (W2), including each of his previous four in a row.

Tony Mowbray has said Blackburn Rovers' injury crisis appears to be easing but their bid to sign free agent Ryotaro Ito looks to be over.

Blackburn played without a recognised striker in Tuesday's 2-1 home defeat to Sheffield United, with Jayden Fevrier deployed as a false nine in the absence of Andri Gudjohnsen.

The Iceland international had played 418 minutes across Rovers' opening five games with Mathias Jorgensen and Yuki Ohashi set to be out for another few weeks.

But Mowbray hopes Gudjohnsen can feature against Millwall on Saturday (15:00 BST) after returning to training on Thursday, while Moussa Baradji could be fit enough to appear for the first time this season off the bench at Ewood Park.

Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire: "It's starting to improve and starting to get better.

"It would be nice to have some more senior players to try and change a game late on as opposed to hoping a young boy comes on and does something quite special."

Rovers were close to a deal for Japan midfielder Ryotaro Ito who played in Belgium last season, but despite the 28-year-old being at the club on Monday, Mowbray suspects the deal will not get done.

"I'm not really sure what's happened," he added. "At this moment there's nothing happening.

"I genuinely don't know but, my experience would suggest to me that it's not going to happen now.

"I don't know why it didn't happen. I asked for help a few weeks ago and the club are trying to put some players in the building to help us."

Rovers have taken one point from their past four games and lie four points and 10 places behind eighth-placed Millwall.

"We know we need to find a result, we can't keep thinking the team is playing quite well but we're getting beat again or drawing again," Mowbray said.

"I think we are better than the results have suggested the last couple of games and deserved more from them, but the reality is you have to win matches and get points."

Blackburn Rovers are discovering a harsh Championship truth: good performances count for very little if you do not have the depth to finish the job.

Long gone are the days when managers talk about their best XI. Success in modern football is built on depth, adaptability and the ability to change matches from the bench. Right now, Rovers have precious little of that.

Yes, injuries are part and parcel of the game. But if you look at the three recent 2-1 defeats as examples, Tony Mowbray has been scratching his head, wondering how he can help his tiring team with such limited options. An underwhelming transfer window hasn't helped either.

They went to Preston North End on Saturday with one fit senior goalkeeper, one fit senior centre-back and one fit centre-forward.

Three days later, a senior keeper was added to the bench, a young (but now senior) centre-back returned, but the one fit centre-forward became none, with Andri Gudjohnsen joining the list of casualties.

Already, 23 players have featured for Rovers in the Championship this season, and we're only six games in. That's not a sign of healthy competition for places. It's a sign of a squad already being stretched to its limits.

The contrast with Sheffield United could hardly have been more stark. Chris Wilder was able to introduce internationals Matt Doherty and Kalvin Phillips alongside Tyrese Campbell and Oli Arblaster.

Rovers were handing home debuts to deadline-day signing Gady Beyuku and throwing 17-year-old Harvey Higgins into the action.

Tony Mowbray told me: "It feels like an excuse and an easy out for me. I hope by the international break that we'll have four or five back."

What will frustrate Mowbray most is that Rovers were good enough to get something from this game. They created chances, registered 19 attempts on goal and spent long periods on the front foot.

Yet once again, avoidable mistakes proved costly.

Image source, Shutterstock

Mowbray said: "You can't give games away like that when you're so dominant and deserve to win. You deserve to score more goals. You can't keep letting two goals in during a game because you're not going to win very many if you do that.

"I'm not interested in how many touches in the opposition box, shots or crosses we have. It has to go in the net, and I'd rather have a terrible expected goals figure and win 2-1."

They conceded soft goals at Preston and did exactly the same here. Whatever the injury situation, that has to improve.

"I've just said to Hayden Carter, if you're going to be the guy who wins every header and blocks every shot, maybe your time is coming," Mowbray said about his centre-back, who is yet to start a league match this season.

There are encouraging signs in the way Rovers are trying to play. They look more ambitious than the side that spent much of last season prioritising survival.

The problem is the results do not yet justify the optimism. In fact, they have two fewer points than they did at this stage last season.

Millwall and Portsmouth before the international break feel important, aren't they all? Not because the season is in danger of slipping away, but because Rovers need tangible rewards for performances before frustration starts replacing belief.

The teams challenging at the top have options, competition and game-changers on the bench. Until Rovers can say the same, they will continue walking a fine line between encouraging performances and frustrating defeats.

Don't forget to tap the 'follow' button at the top of this page to stay up to date with the latest Blackburn news.

Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray spoke to BBC Radio Lancashire after their 2-1 defeat at home by Sheffield United in the Championship.

For a written selection of his quotes, click here.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Blackburn Rovers striker Kevin Gallagher thinks Rovers fans will be pleased with their showing in the Lancashire derby against Preston on Saturday, but small margins decided an unwanted outcome.

Preston were leading from the ninth minute thanks to a goal from Callum Lang, who went on to to double his lead in the first half, and Rovers were only able to peg it back to 2-1 via an own goal from Stan Mills in the second.

"Blackburn fans will go home happy, but they will be going, 'How did we get beat today?,'" Gallagher said.

"For the first nine minutes, Blackburn were banging at the door, and you're thinking, 'What could happen to this game if Blackburn get a goal?' But just as you say that, Preston gets it.

"Take the goal back further into midfield because that's where the battle was. Todd Cantwell has gone up for a header, but he's ducked underneath it. Didn't want to head it, and unfortunately then, Preston win possession."

Listen to the full post-match reaction below or on BBC Sounds here.

Blackburn Rovers have taken only one point from their past three Championship outings as they prepare to host Sheffield United on Tuesday (19:45 BST).

The Blades head to Ewood Park unbeaten on the road so far with two draws from their away games.

• After their 3-1 win in April, Blackburn Rovers are hoping to record back-to-back league victories over Sheffield United for the first time since April 1993 in the Premier League.

• Sheffield United have won each of their past three away games at Blackburn Rovers in all competitions, including a 2-1 victory in this season's EFL Cup in August. Only from 1949 to 1953 have the Blades ever won four in a row away to Rovers.

• After their 2-1 home defeat by QPR, Blackburn Rovers could suffer back-to-back home league defeats for the first time since November 2025.

• Sheffield United have drawn both of their away games in the Championship this season. Only in 1898-99, 1984-85, and 2012-13 have they started a league campaign with three successive away draws.

• Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray has lost five of his past seven league games against Sheffield United (W2), including four of his past five.

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Lancashire derby between Preston North End and Blackburn Rovers gave the Lilywhites their first points of the season.

Here are some of your comments:

Preston North End fans

Tony: At last, good performance, but we still need to sort the defence out. Clarke was like a leader, and, if Lang can stay fit, we should be okay.

Will: Good first half but under pressure for most of the second. Lang played well and also Clarke and Mills. No major problems from the defence, but Blackburn missing several players. Better squad depth and quality should help throughout the season.

Richard: A win is a win, both sides squandered golden opportunities. Preston's game management was poor for most of the game, but the final 11 that played started to bring it back into some sort of forward attacking play that was missing in the rest of the game. Not detracting from Lang's goals that were well taken and a much-needed win for Preston. Onwards and upwards.

Image source, Getty Images

Blackburn Rovers fans

Gordon: Hard luck today against a PNE team desperate for a win. 12 injured players decimated the Rovers, but despite that, they easily won the battle of the stats, and but for some poor finishing and absence of Lady Luck, they would have won the only stat that matters, the final score.

Just a pity the signing of two new players this week was hijacked at the death.

Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray spoke to BBC Radio Lancashire after their 2-1 derby loss at Preston North End. For a written selection of his quotes click here.

Image source, Getty Images

Blackburn Rovers right-back Ryan Alebiosu and captain Todd Cantwell are fit for Saturday's Lancashire derby at Preston North End - but head coach Tony Mowbray says 12 players are still unavailable.

Alebiosu and Cantwell have returned to full training after they both went off in the 0-0 draw at Lincoln City on Tuesday.

But following Tom Atcheson's red card against the Imps, Rovers are left with just one fit senior centre-back to face the Lilywhites, with Hayden Carter and Scott Wharton still out injured, while those who missed the trip in midweek also remain out.

Despite an early-season injury crisis, Mowbray said he is "pretty relaxed" and insisted he will be able to field a "really competitive" team at Deepdale (12:30 BST).

"We need to get some of these lads back over the next month or so and then I'll be even more comfortable," the 62-year-old told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We're putting what I feel is a pretty strong team out with 12 injuries as well.

"I know it's not ideal to have so many injuries to so many players that could make a difference to the team, but that's not going to be the case all season."

Mowbray said the speed of the modern game has become "so much quicker", which could be contributing to more injuries at every club.

"It feels unusual to have so many people down," Mowbray added. "There's lots of work being done behind the scenes regarding the medical and the sports science of how the training's looking, what we are doing, are we training too much?

"Is it just the volume of games - literally a game every three days for three weeks?

"That's what we're in the middle of at the moment - seven games in 21 days. And so my frustration as a coach is that we're not being able to train the team.

"We can't work on anything because you finish a game, you recover. And then you've got one day before you play the next game and so basically you're using video footage to try to get the gameplan across to the team."

Preston North End are seeking their first Championship points as they welcome Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers on Saturday lunchtime (12:30 BST).

The Lilywhites are yet to get their season started after four games, while Rovers are sitting in the midtable five points ahead.

• Preston are winless in six home league games against Blackburn Rovers (D3 L3) since a 3-2 victory in October 2019 under Alex Neil.

• Blackburn have won each of their last three league games against Preston, last winning four in a row against the Lilywhites in August 1919.

• Preston are the only Championship side to lose each of their opening four matches this season, and are looking to avoid losing their opening five of a league campaign for just the third time, after 1924-25 and 1929-30.

• Blackburn Rovers have only lost one of their last seven away games in the Championship (W3 D3), a 0-3 defeat to Southampton in April.

• No side has had fewer high turnovers in the Championship than Blackburn this season (11), with Rovers also the only side yet to have a shot from a high turnover.

Blackburn Rovers boss Tony Mowbray spoke to BBC Radio Lancashire after Tuesday's goalless draw at Lincoln City.

For a written selection of his quotes, click here.

Image source, Shutterstock

Blackburn Rovers midfielder Sidnei Tavares has joined Polish side Wisła Płock on a season-long loan deal with the option to buy.

The Portuguese midfielder will spend the remainder of the current campaign with the Polish top-flight club, who finished eighth in the Ekstraklasa last season.

Tavares originally signed from Portuguese side Moreirense last summer and featured 14 times for Rovers last season in a campaign disrupted by injury.

The 24-year-old started out at Leicester City and also had a loan spell in Colorado before moving to Portugal.

Image source, Getty Images

Transfer deadline day is upon us and today is the final chance for your EFL club to finalise any business until January.

The transfer window closes at 23:00 BST, so we might have some late night scrambles to get deals over the line.

There has already been plenty of movement this summer and whether it's a busy or quiet day for your club, you will be able to keep across it all on BBC Sport.

Follow our EFL deadline day live text coverage throughout the day here

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