League One 2017-18 fixtures: Blackburn start at Southend, Portsmouth host Rochdale

League Two champions Portsmouth will play in the third tier for the first time since 2012-13

Blackburn will face Southend away in their first match of the 2017-18 League One season on Saturday, 5 August.

Fellow relegated clubs Wigan Athletic and Rotherham United will go to MK Dons and Fleetwood Town respectively.

League Two champions Portsmouth host Rochdale, while play-off winners Blackpool will go to beaten League One play-off finalists Bradford.

Doncaster Rovers start at home to Gillingham, while Plymouth Argyle begin the campaign away at Peterborough.

• Find your team's fixtures on the BBC Sport website by clicking here

• Championship: Bruce's Villa host Hull on opening day

• League Two: Forest Green open at home to Barnet

Elsewhere on the opening day, Bury take on Walsall, Charlton host Bristol Rovers, Oldham are at home to managerless Oxford, Scunthorpe face AFC Wimbledon and Shrewsbury are up against Northampton.

Blackburn, the 1994-95 Premier League champions, are playing in the third tier for the first time since 1979-80 after relegation from the Championship.

Portsmouth won the League Two title to end their four-year stay in the fourth tier, and will start the season with Kenny Jackett in charge after Paul Cook left to join Wigan.

Cook will come up against his former club at the DW Stadium on 26 August, with the return fixture at Fratton Park on 2 April, 2018.

Opening day fixtures

Saturday, 5 August

Kick-off 15:00 BST

• Bradford City v Blackpool

• Bury v Walsall

• Charlton Athletic v Bristol Rovers

• Doncaster Rovers v Gillingham

• Fleetwood Town v Rotherham United

• Milton Keynes Dons v Wigan Athletic

• Oldham Athletic v Oxford United

• Peterborough United v Plymouth Argyle

• Portsmouth v Rochdale

• Scunthorpe United v AFC Wimbledon

• Shrewsbury Town v Northampton Town

• Southend United v Blackburn Rovers