The commencement of a new season brings optimism and excitement, two emotions that will be running through all of those associated with Blackburn Rovers and West Bromwich Albion.
Both sides narrowly missed out on a play-off spot last season, with an exhilirating final day seeing both fall short of the required points total to conclude the campaign in the top six.
The pair have similar expectations this year, and are set to battle it out in what should be a tight encounter at Ewood Park.
The Hawthorns laid host to an exciting stalemate between the duo in February as Ben Brereton Diaz's late free-kick salvaged a point for Rovers in B71.
In the return fixture, it was the hosts who took all three points. Brereton Diaz opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time, with Sam Gallagher doubling his side's advantage two minutes after the interval.
Grady Diangana halved the deficit, but Albion fell to defeat in August.
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Team news
Blackburn Rovers
The Rovers will look quite different season, after losing star player Brereton Diaz to Villarreal and Bradley Dack also amongst the departures, having now signed for fellow promotion candidates Sunderland.
Goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski signed for Premier League debutants Luton Town after making 118 appearances in a Blackburn shirt since arriving from Gent in 2020.
West Bromwich Albion
New signing Josh Maja has been ruled out of the opening day fixture as he is not up to the desired levels of sharpness just yet, with manager, Carlos Corberan, stating he will make his debut against Swansea City next week.
Other new addition, Jeremy Sarmiento, will travel with the matchday squad and is expected to be named as a substitute.
Daryl Dike continues his recovery following a serious injury sustained last season.
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Likely lineups
Blackburn Rovers
Pears, Rankin-Costello, Carter, Hyam, Pickering, Tronstad, Travis, Szmodics, Markanday, Dolan, Leonard.
West Bromwich Albion
Palmer, Townsend, Kipre, Bartley, Furlong, Yokuslu, Molumby, Swift, Wallace, Phillips, Thomas-Asante.
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Key players
Sammie Szmodics
Sammie Szmodics was integral to Blackburn's success last season.
His dominant displays in Lancashire have seen him become a regular in the Republic of Ireland matchday squads, with him settling in well since joining from Peterborough in 2022.
The 27-year-old made 34 appearances in the blue and white of Blackburn last season, scoring five league goals in his inaugural campaign.
The attacking-midfielder made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut in a 3-0 away victory over Swansea City; and will be hoping to get his name on the scoresheet many more times this year.
Brandon Thomas-Asante
Brandon Thomas-Asante impressed in his debut season at West Bromwich Albion, making the step up from League Two to the Championship look minor.
The forward mainly operated as a lone striker, supported by a winger either side of him. This due to the injury of Daryl Dike, meaning the Baggies were forced to rely on the new recruit.
He did more than just fill in though, and proved to be a shrewd bit of business, with impressive performances helping fire the stripes back into the play-off fight.
If the former-Salford man can sharpen up his finishing in front of goal, we will definitely be seeing his trademark waving celebration plenty of times this upcoming season.
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Match details
Where is the game being played?
This EFL Championship clash will be hosted by Blackburn at Ewood Park on Saturday, August 5, 2023.
What time is kick-off?
The match will kick-off at 15:00 BST on Saturday August 2023.
How can I watch?
The tie will not be shown on live television due to regulations surrounding the 15:00 black-outs.
Fans can watch it by purchasing a game pass via ‘iFollow’ for £10.
Live commentary is available on both the Blackburn and West Brom official apps.
Both clubs will also be providing live updates on their social media pages.
