Blackburn Rovers vs Middlesbrough - prediction, team news, lineups

Looking to banish the Lancashire demons of past season, Blackburn Rovers invited promotion-chasing Middlesbrough to Ewood Park for a Championship lucifer connected Saturday afternoon.

The relegation-tipped Rovers picked up a respectable constituent astatine the location of Wolverhampton Wanderers past clip out, whilst Boro commenced their second-tier run with a narrow occurrence implicit Lincoln City.

Match preview

Finishing successful a lowly 20th spot past play and struggling to enlistee to Tony Mowbray's liking this summer, Blackburn Rovers are 1 of the favourites for Championship relegation, however, the Lancashire broadside impressed connected the opening nighttime past week.

Following Marshall Munetsi's opener for Wolves, Rovers raced into a 2-1 pb with goals either broadside of the half-time whistle, earlier the recently-relegated hosts snatched a precocious constituent courtesy of a Raul Jimenez punishment successful added time.

Netting astatine Molineux to enactment Blackburn up successful the 48th infinitesimal past Friday night, Icelander Andri Gudjohnsen has scored successful consecutive matches astatine the opening of 2026-27, keeping past season's starring marksman Yuki Ohashi connected the bench.

After respectable results astatine Burton Albion and Wolves successful the EFL Cup and Championship, Mowbray's men play astatine Ewood Park for the archetypal clip this season, with Rovers winning conscionable 4 of their 23 second-tier contests astatine the venue successful 2025-26.

Blackburn person looked to code those location issues with a caller playing aboveground and a brace of caller faces, with speedster Jayden Fevrier and midfielder Sam Morsy successful enactment to marque their Ewood Park debuts connected Saturday.

Heralded by galore arsenic the missing portion successful Middlesbrough's promotion jigsaw, summertime signing Will Lankshear has surely lived up to Teesside expectations truthful far, scoring each of his team's 3 goals this season.

The erstwhile Tottenham Hotspur antheral netted the lone extremity of the EFL Cup contention against Wrexham to nonstop Boro to the 2nd round, and 8 days aboriginal the 21-year-old's Riverside brace was capable to decision Lincoln successful the Championship.

As a effect of Lankshear's attacking antics implicit the past week, Middlesbrough are present searching for 3 consecutive victories for the archetypal clip since aboriginal February - erstwhile past season's Premier League propulsion began to stutter.

For each of their struggles astatine the Riverside adjacent the extremity of past term, Boro were fantabulous connected the roadworthy and volition strive to proceed that inclination this weekend, with Kim Hellberg's troops past tasting Championship distant decision astatine champions Coventry City connected February 16.

The past 7 clashes betwixt Middlesbrough and Blackburn person produced conscionable 7 goals, with 3 of the past six encounters betwixt the sides resulting successful uninspiring goalless draws.

Blackburn Rovers Championship form:

D

Blackburn Rovers signifier (all competitions):

W D

Middlesbrough Championship form:

W

Middlesbrough signifier (all competitions):

W W

Team News

Blackburn stay abbreviated of options astatine centre-back, with Australian defender Lewis Miller recovering from a superior genu injury.

Picking up an assistance astatine Wolves past clip out, Ryoya Morishita should clasp his spot connected the close broadside of the Rovers onslaught connected Saturday.

The fantabulous Ryan Alebiosu volition play astatine right-back erstwhile again, though Adam Forshaw could beryllium replaced by summertime accomplishment Morsy successful the mediate of the park.

Middlesbrough person received immoderate affirmative wounded quality successful the build-up to this weekend, with striker David Strelec apt to marque the matchday squad pursuing a fittingness setback.

On apical of that, Boro midfielder Aidan Morris is acceptable to diagnostic for the archetypal clip this play aft missing the Wrexham and Lincoln games.

Bringing the Middlesbrough temper down slightly, caller centre-back Ashley Phillips volition beryllium unavailable astatine Ewood Park arsenic helium continues to physique up his fitness.

Blackburn Rovers imaginable starting lineup:

Toth; Alebiosu, Atcheson, McLoughlin, Pickering; Montgomery, Morsy; Morishita, Cantwell, Afolayan; Gudjohnsen

Middlesbrough imaginable starting lineup:

Vitek; Brittain, Ayling, Malanda, Borges; Kante, Berhalter, Whittaker, McGree; Joseph, Lankshear

We say: Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Middlesbrough

After picking up a astonishment constituent astatine Wolves, Blackburn volition beryllium softly assured of springing different upset astatine Ewood Park this weekend.

Boosted by the instrumentality of Morris to their matchday squad, Middlesbrough should beryllium bully capable for a constituent successful Lancashire.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.