A good flowing set of passes from Derby as they go on the attack for the first time in this game.

However their final effort is tame and is well dealt with by Blackburn.

Both sides just working each other out in the early stages of the season.

How are you gearing up for the start of the new EFL season?

You can post on X using the hashtag #bbcefl or text in on 81111 (UK only - standard message rates apply).

The 2024-25 English Football League season is under way.

A big nine months or so awaits.

Chris Basham
Former Sheffield United defender on BBC Radio Sheffield

Former Sheffield United defender Chris Basham is making his co-commentary debut this evening.

The veteran was released by the Blades after 10 years earlier in the summer and has not featured since suffering a broken leg against Fulham last October.

"I'm feeling loads better than I was and feeling a lot more positive in myself.

"I'm excited for new beginnings. I'm feeling good."

(On working as a co-commentator for the first time) "I'm a bit more nervous than I normally would be preparing for being on air for the first time.

"It's something I've always wanted to do, so I'm looking forward to it.

"Being a Blades fan, I hope they win tonight."

Sammie Szmodics is on the bench for Blackburn after not being used in pre-season. Last season's Championship Golden Boot winner has been training away from the first team group.

Makhtar Gueye makes his debut and Dom Hyam gets his 250th career league start.

Blackburn: Pears, Brittain, Carter, Hyam, Pickering, Tronstad, Travis, Rankin-Costello, Dolan, Hedges, Gueye.

Subs: Hilton, Sigurdsson, Szmodics, Weimann, Batth, Markanday, Buckley, Ohashi, Vale.

Derby hand debuts to four of their summer signings: David Ozoh, Ben Osborn, Kenzo Goudmijn and Kayden Jackson.

Ebou Adams only makes the bench after missing training in midweek.

Derby: Vickers, Wilson, Ozoh, Cashin, Elder, Osborn, Goudmijn, Nelson, Barkhuizen, Jackson, Mendez-Laing.

Subs: Luthra, Forsyth, Bradley, Collins, Thompson, Fornah, Nyambe, Adams, Brown.

Here's how Preston line up for their season opener against Sheffield United.

Freddie Woodman returns from an injury in pre-season to start for the Lilywhites while Sam Greenwood and Stefan Thordarson start on their debuts.

Preston: Woodman, Whatmough, Lindsay, Hughes, Potts, Thordarson, Whiteman, Greenwood, Brady, Riis, Keane.

Subs: Cornell, Storey, Best, Kesler-Hayden, Ledson, Holmes, Mawene, Frokjaer, Osmajic.

And this is how tonight's opponents at Deepdale line-up to begin their Championship campaign.

New signings Callum O'Hare, Harrison Burrows, Kieffer Moore and Alfie Gilchrist start while Harry Souttar is on the bench.

Sheff Utd: Davies, Gilchrist, Robinson, Ahmedhodzic, Burrows, O'Hare, Arblaster, Hamer, Brooks, Souza, Moore.

Subs: Grbic, Trusty, Souttar, Brewster, Slimane, Coulibaly, Marsh, Seriki, Peck.

With Sheffield United in action this evening, and coming into the Championship off the back of a dismal campaign in the Premier League last term, what sort of season can the Blades expect?

As Chris Wilder's side prepare for life back in the Championship, BBC Sport has taken a look at how the other clubs in the bottom five for Premier League points tallies have got on in their first campaign after going down.

You can read that here.

Image source, Getty Images/Rex Features

The EFL returns tonight with the start of the 2024-25 season and BBC Sport will be across it all to share the drama with you.

The action is spread across four days of the opening weekend with four games on Friday, 30 on Saturday and one apiece on Sunday and Monday.

There will be comprehensive coverage online and on local radio as relegated trio Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United return to the Championship while Bromley enjoy their first taste of EFL football in League Two.

And, for the first time, all 36 opening matches across the three divisions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports with the Saturday 3pm blackout lifted.

Click here to see how you can follow all the action across the BBC.

Image source, Rex Features

Image source, Getty Images

Derby County get their Championship season under way at Blackburn having ensured their return to the second tier with promotion from League One last term.

But how quickly will they adjust to the Championship after two seasons away?

Winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing thinks they have more than what it takes to be comfortable and avoid the drop back to League One.

"We've had some good additions to the squad and we're starting to gel," Mendez-Laing told BBC Radio Derby

"The plan was to get Derby back to the Championship. I'm so happy to be here and I can't wait to be [playing there] with this club and group of players.

"There are some quality players at the big clubs [in the Championship]. If you turn the ball over, you might get punished a lot more.

"But we've got more than enough to be comfortable in the league."

Sheffield United make their return to the Championship having been relegated from the Premier League last season and they travel to Deepdale to face Preston to get their 2024-25 campaign under way.

The Blades will be hoping for a much more prosperous season than last, which saw them finish at the bottom of the pile in the top flight.

So how did they get on last time they began a second tier campaign? Well, there's some cause for optimism if tonight's visitors are defeated.

Sheffield United began their promotion-winning 2022-23 Championship season with defeat by Watford. That was followed by a 10-game unbeaten run which proved to be the backbone of a season to remember.

It's not just the Championship getting going for another season tonight, oh no.

League One and Two have a fixture apiece as they also get their 2024-25 campaigns under way.

Barnsley host Mansfield in League One while League Two newcomers Chesterfield start their return to the English Football League by welcoming Swindon.

Just the two fixtures to get stuck into on the opening night in the Championship.

Preston welcome Sheffield United, who will be getting their campaign going following their relegation from the Premier League last term.

And in tonight's other second tier fixture, Blackburn play host to Derby County, who are also returning to the Championship having won promotion from League One in 2023-24.

A decent pair of fixtures to get stuck into as another long old season gets going.

Image source, Getty Images

Ah well, you see. The Euros have only just ended and the Olympics are on so there's no way that the English Football League season starts yet.

What's that? It's 9 August? And it's already a week later in the month than last season started?

Oh right. So it really is a new dawn, then.

I suppose we'd better get going..