Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers boss Valerien Ismael said that midfielder Todd Cantwell has returned to fitness and will be available for their upcoming Championship match against Birmingham City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The 27-year-old missed out on the opening defeat against West Bromwich Albion, but played 27 minutes in the side's loss to Bradford City in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

"He can be a technical leader on the pitch. He's got all the potential to do that. So now it's all about his fitness," Ismael told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"I think he made a great pre-season. He just had a little setback last week, but now he's back, so hopefully he can stay fit.

"It might be a big season for him and he's very motivated to do that."

However, the Frenchman said that it's "too early" for defender Hayden Carter to make an appearance despite returning to training after suffering a hamstring injury in July.

Ismael added: "Carter trained with the squad for two days now, but it's too early for the game."

Blackburn Rovers manager Valerien Ismael has said he would allow club captain Lewis Travis to leave for the right price but insisted he would still play for Rovers as they face promoted side Birmingham City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Blues will be looking for a first win in their return to the second tier after victory was snatched away from them in the embers of the opening-night 1-1 draw with Ipswich.

• Blackburn Rovers have lost just two of their past 38 home league games against Birmingham City (W25 D11), winning each of their past four in succession, during which they have scored 15 goals in total.

• Birmingham City have won two of their past three league games against Blackburn Rovers (L1), as many victories as across their prior 16 matches against Rovers combined (D6 L8).

• Blackburn have won their opening home game in each of the past five league seasons. However, following their 1-0 opening-day loss at West Bromwich Albion, they will be hoping to avoid beginning a league campaign with back-to-back defeats, which last happened in 2019-20.

• Birmingham have not lost their opening away game in any of the past six seasons (W3 D3) since losing 1-0 at Middlesbrough in the Championship in 2018-19.

• Birmingham's Keshi Anderson won more duels than any other player (14) on the second tier's opening weekend, with the last Blues player to win more in the Championship being Ethan Laird against Swansea in August 2023 (21).

BBC Radio Lancashire's Scott Reid said "the ball is in Derby County's court" regarding a move for Blackburn captain Lewis Travis after a surprising admission from Rovers' boss Valerien Ismael.

This is after Ismael said after his side's Carabao Cup defeat by Bradford City that if the price is right then they would allow Travis to leave.

"He casually dropped it in the interview that his club captain wants to leave," Reid told BBC Radio Derby.

"It took us by surprise... It is a strange situation when a manager reveals this.

"I think Blackburn will sell if Derby offer what valuation they want."

Listen to the full analysis and more on BBC Sounds.

Derby County boss John Eustace is looking to recruit another player from former club Blackburn Rovers after making a £1.5m bid for English midfielder Lewis Travis. (The Athletic - subscription required), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.

Image source, Getty Images

Nicolas Michalski has been rewarded for his rapid rise at Blackburn by signing a new long-term contract with the Ewood Park club.

Michalski, 18, has penned a four-year agreement with the option of a further 12 months.

He was won three England Under-18 caps and was part of boss Valerien Ismael's senior squad during their pre-season training camp in Spain.

Although Michalski has yet to make his Rovers debut, he was named on the bench for Saturday's Championship opener at West Bromwich Albion and is part of the first-team squad.

Blackburn Rovers are not happy about potentially losing key players this month but the club is a business, according to boss Valerian Ismael.

Midfielders Sondre Tronstad, Lewis Travis, and Ryan Hedges along with defender Dominic Hyam will be out of contract at the end of the season.

All four players would be able to leave Ewood Park for free next summer and Ismael accepts it is a far from ideal situation with the current transfer window open until 1 September and him not knowing who will be left in his squad.

"We are in a difficult situation as a club because you want to extend the contracts of the players and it hasn't happened so you chase it," Ismael told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"It is about taking the best decision for the club - at the moment they are our players so we will see what happens until the end of the transfer window."

Tronstad, Travis, Hedges and Hyam all started as Blackburn lost their opening Championship match 1-0 at West Brom on Saturday.

"At the moment we cannot say they will stay or leave," Ismael added. "The best thing for the club is to get the value for the players and reinvest the money - this is a business as well.

"It does not mean we are happy about it - we have to think about the next step and what is best for us depending on the offer and what the player wants."

Rovers host Bradford City in the first round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday (19:45 BST) with midfielder Todd Cantwell set to feature for the first time this season after recovering from a thigh strain.

Image source, Getty Images

Valerien Ismael wants more from his Blackburn Rovers attackers after they lost their opening game at West Bromwich Albion.

Isaac Price's early goal was all that separated the sides at The Hawthorns, yet Rovers only forced Albion goalkeeper Josh Griffiths into one save in the whole match.

So Ismael knows that must change as the Championship season kicks into gear.

"From the performance, it was a good away game from us," he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We had a lot of new faces, the players arrived this week, it was a little bit hectic and chaotic.

"But I think throughout the 90 minutes we were really solid.

"What we have to work on is our work in the final third - we should be doing better with the last cross, the last pass. We didn't really test the goalkeeper, so we must shoot more on target."

Blackburn boss Valerien Ismael has said that his side are in a "transition season" following a busy summer of incomings and outgoings.

Rovers missed out on a top six finish last campaign by just two points and told BBC Radio Lancashire that this season is a "fresh start" for the club.

"It will be a fresh start, that is very clear now. We are fully in that transition, it is all about integrating the new players," the Frenchman said.

"We are very pleased with the team we have got, but we know that we still want to do something in the transfer market."

The 49-year-old has previous experience in the Championship, with stints at Barnsley, West Bromwich Albion and Watford.

Speaking on the level of quality in the league this season, he said: "It is really competitive. It maybe the best Championship season we have ever faced.

"If you look at the transfer market, the teams that have been really active isn't Leicester, Southampton or Ipswich, but it has been Birmingham and Wrexham.

Blackburn kick-off their season with a trip to the Hawthorns on Saturday.

"It is always a tough away game, but there is no easy game in this league. It is clear that they are a strong team with a good new manager," he said.

"We have had a good pre-season and are looking forward to it."

Listen to the full pre-match press conference and more on BBC Sounds.

Former Tottenham Hotspur coach Ryan Mason makes his league debut as West Bromwich Albion boss when the side host Valerien Ismael's Blackburn Rovers on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Mason was appointed in June for his first permanent managerial role, having previously been caretaker for Spurs during his seven-year coaching career at the Premier League club.

Though his first game will be a tricky one, with Rovers boss Ismael all too familiar with the Hawthorns' patrons after a seven month spell with the club during the 2021-22 season.

• West Brom have lost just one of their last seven home league games against Blackburn Rovers (W3 D3), though that sole defeat did come in last season's meeting at the Hawthorns (0-2).

• Blackburn Rovers have lost just one of their last seven league games against West Brom (W3 D3), keeping clean sheets in both their matches vs the Baggies last season.

• West Brom have lost on the last two occasions their first league game of the season has been at home, with this the first time they're playing at the Hawthorns on MD1 since 2020-21 (0-3 v Leicester).

• Blackburn have won their opening league match in each of the last four seasons, though is the first time they're playing away from home on MD1 since a 3-2 loss at Bournemouth in 2020-21.

• Blackburn boss Valerien Ismael's only previous meeting with his old club West Bromwich Albion was a 2-2 draw with Watford in September 2023.

Middlesbrough are expected to complete a deal for Blackburn Rovers defender Callum Brittain. (Lancashire Telegraph), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Friday's gossip column here.

Manchester City defender Max Alleyne has caught the eye of Blackburn Rovers for a potential loan move that could see the 20-year-old Bristolian head to Ewood Park to pick up some first-team minutes. (Manchester Evening News), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.

Blackburn Rovers left-back Yuri Ribeiro says he believes they can "achieve great things" in the upcoming Championship season.

Rovers missed out on a play-off spot last season by two points and while Ribeiro says he would like to see some depth added to the squad, he also believes they already have the players to challenge once again.

"It's not my part to talk about who we sign or if we need more but, in football, it's like this - you need quality. You need a really good group of players who know where they want to go," Ribeiro told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"This season, I think we can achieve great things. I hope we can add more quality players but we have here a really good group."

There has been a turnover at Ewood Park this summer, with both forward Andreas Weimann and defender Danny Batth departing to join former boss John Eustace at Derby County.

Winger Tyrhys Dolan, whose contract expired at the end of last season, and defender Callum Brittain, who is also being linked with a move to the Rams, are yet to sign new contracts.

The club has made four new signings - Dion De Neve, Sidnei Tavares, Ryan Alebiosu and Sean McLoughlin - and so far, the Portuguese defender has been impressed by what he has seen.

"Everyone who signs here must know that he has to be on top and he has give 100%," Ribeiro added.

"We have a good group, a really solid group with the guys that are hard workers. The guys that are coming in are also showing this in training."