Blackburn Rovers vs West Bromwich Albion Prediction: Blackburn's injuries can be a key factor even in the first game of the season

Blackburn Rovers will welcome West Bromwich Albion at Ewood Park in Gameweek 1 of the English Championship. The teams will be looking to go back into the premier league as fast as possible. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes? 

Blackburn is entering their sixth consecutive season in the second tier since their promotion from League One in 2018. They have been steadily progressing towards the top six.

During the first half of the 2022-23 season, they showed great efficiency, but their form dipped with only one win in the last 10 matches, which dashed their hopes of making it to the playoffs.

Jon Dahl Tomasson, the manager, has had some key departures over the summer, including top scorer Ben Brereton Diaz, who moved to Villarreal in La Liga after his contract at Ewood Park expired. Additionally, Bradley Dack and Thomas Kaminski left to join Sunderland and Luton Town, respectively. This leaves Blackburn with work to do in the transfer window to ensure they have a squad capable of mounting a serious promotion challenge. Their pre-season ended with a 3-2 loss against Spanish club Girona, ending their hope of going unbeaten. Supporters will be eager to see the team bounce back and avoid consecutive losses in the upcoming weekend.

Kaminski; Rankin-Costello; Carter, Hyam, Pickering; Tronstad, Travis, Szmodics, Markanday; Dolan, Ennis

As the 2023-24 campaign approaches, West Brom is preparing for the new season with a squad that remains largely unchanged from their last match against Swansea City on May 8 in the previous season.

During that intense Bank Holiday Monday match, Okay Yokuslu's goal briefly placed the Baggies in the playoffs ahead of Millwall and Sunderland. However, by the end of the match, Carlos Corberan's team knew they would spend another year in the Championship.

Having lost the parachute payments from the Premier League, West Brom has shifted its focus to the free transfer and loan markets this summer. One notable signing is Jeremy Sarmiento from Brighton & Hove Albion. The Ecuadorian youngster participated in all three of his nation's matches at the 2022 World Cup and is highly regarded by those on the South Coast, indicating that West Brom still possesses the ability to attract promising talents.

Nonetheless, the club's capacity to attract top-quality players for the Championship is diminishing season by season. Furthermore, with teams like Leicester City and Southampton now competing in the second tier, West Brom is no longer considered a favorite for an immediate return to the Premier League.

Palmer; Furlong, Ajayi, Kipre, Townsend; Yokuslu, Mowatt, Wallace, Swift, Phillips; Thomas-Asante

Blackburn is starting this campaign with some challenges, as they have been affected by injuries and the departure of key players. Despite this, Tomasson's side is expected to display their impressive qualities, which they have shown in recent years. On the other hand, West Brom will have the advantage of a well-established team from last season, with players familiar with each other's style of play. This chemistry is likely to lead the Baggies to a victory on the opening day in Lancashire. Expect under 2.5 goals in the game.