Hayden Carter plays a fabulous low delivery on the right flank towards his Blackburn team-mate Bradley Dack.

Dack, however, times his run poorly and is correctly flagged offside as he gets onto the end of it.

A let off for Preston's defence, however.

Callum Brittain is back on his feet and walks to the touchline before the game gets back under way.

Three minutes into this derby and it feels like one. The 4,000 Preston fans who've made the 14-mile trip to Blackburn are in fine voice.

Boos ring around Ewood Park after Ryan Ledson puts in a robust challenge on Callum Brittain.

The Blackburn man is down receiving treatment, but Ledson made contact with the ball first.

Certainly setting the tone for this derby, mind!

We're under way at Ewood Park.

Can Blackburn restore some pride after their Lancashire derby defeat by leaders Burnley before the World Cup break?

Or will it be two Lancashire derby losses in a row as they face an injury-challenged Preston?

BBC local radio

It's not just our live text updates that are taking you through today's games in the English Football League.

The fine folks in BBC local radio are in position and, hopefully, wrapped up warm up and down the country.

Unfortunately we cannot bring you live radio commentary on this page today but if you've got a radio handy, tune into your local station.

There are two special guests at Ewood Park today ahead of kick-off.

Former Blackburn and Preston defender Tommy Spurr and his son Rio will lead out the teams before we get going today.

Rio has Wilms' tumour which is a rare form of cancer. BBC Radio Lancashire caught up with Tommy earlier, which you can watch in the tweet below:

Here's how the two sides are lining up in today's early Championship Lancashire derby.

Blackburn make four changes following their sobering defeat by Burnley a few weeks ago. Scott Wharton, Sam Szmodics, Bradley Dack and Hayden Carter come in for Daniel Ayala, Clinton Mola, Jake Garrett and Sam Gallagher.

Preston make five changes and are without Andrew Hughes, Alan Browne, Ali McCann, Robbie Brady and the talismanic Emil Riis.

Blackburn: Kaminski, Hedges, Carter, Hyam, Wharton, Brittain, Travis, Morton, Szmodics, Dack, Brereton Diaz

Subs: Pears, Ayala, Mola, Buckley, Dolan, Hirst, Gallagher

Preston: Woodman, Fernandez, Cunningham, Whiteman, Lindsay, Evans, Johnson, Storey, Ledson, Woodburn, Potts.

Subs: Cornell, Bauer, Diaby, Slater, Mawene, Cross-Adair, O'Neill

Image source, Rex Features

The Championship makes its full return today after a four-week break for the opening stages of the World Cup.

It's been a highly eventful first few months in a congested second tier, with just eight points between 22nd-placed Wigan and sixth-placed QPR.

Need to catch up on what you've missed from before the World Cup hiatus? We've got you covered.

Click here to jog your memory on the season so far.

Image source, Rex Features

Just the five fixtures in League Two today, with the freezing weather forcing a fair few games off in tier four:

• Carlisle United P-P Barrow
• Crewe Alexandra P-P Leyton Orient
• Harrogate Town P-P Northampton Town
• Rochdale P-P Stockport County
• Grimsby Town v Tranmere Rovers
• Newport County v Doncaster Rovers
• Salford City P-P Walsall
• Stevenage v Mansfield Town
• Sutton United v Colchester United
• Swindon Town v AFC Wimbledon

Here's the lay of the land in League One as things stand. So far we've lost three games due to the freezing conditions.

All games kick off at 15:00 GMT unless stated:

• Ipswich Town v Peterborough United (12:30 GMT)
• Shrewsbury Town v Bolton Wanderers (12:30 GMT)
• Burton Albion v Derby County (14:00 GMT)
• Forest Green Rovers v Cheltenham Town (14:00 GMT)
• Accrington Stanley P-P Portsmouth
• Bristol Rovers v Port Vale
• Cambridge United v Plymouth Argyle
• Exeter City v Sheffield Wednesday
• Lincoln City v Wycombe Wanderers
• Milton Keynes Dons v Fleetwood Town
• Morecambe P-P Charlton Athletic
• Oxford United P-P Barnsley

Here's how we're lining up in the Championship today. All kick-offs 15:00 GMT unless stated:

• Blackburn Rovers v Preston North End (12:00 GMT)
• Rotherham United v Bristol City (12:30 GMT)
• Reading v Coventry City (14:00 GMT)
• Blackpool v Birmingham City
• Middlesbrough v Luton Town
• Millwall v Wigan Athletic
• Sheffield United v Huddersfield Town
• Stoke City v Cardiff City
• Swansea City v Norwich City

Image source, Rex Features

It's been a while, but the Championship is making its full return.

The World Cup continues. What better way to warm yourselves up (literally, it's freezing out there after all) for England's quarter-final against France tonight than by enjoying some stellar action in the English Football League?

We've got some scattered kick-offs today and plenty of postponements, but we've got a Lancashire derby to get stuck into as Blackburn v Preston gets the day going in just a few moments time.

Let's get going.