After securing a first opening day win in six years at Edgeley Park on Saturday, County’s focus now turns to the Carabao Cup, and a first round tie with Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers.
A breath-taking early goal from Louie Barry followed by a textbook Kyle Wootton header in the second half secured a deserved 2-0 win over Cambridge United on day one of the League One season – our first win in the third tier since February 2010.
With ten first-team players ruled out through injury on Saturday, manager Dave Challinor has hinted at wholesale changes for this midweek cup clash, as we bid to reach the second round of the competition for the second time in three seasons.
Opponents Blackburn were 1-0 victors at Edgeley Park just a few weeks ago in a pre-season friendly, and they also got their campaign off to a winning start on Friday night after beating newly promoted Derby County 4-2 at Ewood Park. Rovers reached the fourth round of the competition last season, beating Walsall, Harrogate Town and Cardiff City before losing 2-0 away at eventual runners-up, Chelsea.
Things you need to know:
- The cup tie will be decided on the night, with a penalty shootout taking place if the scores are level after 90 minutes.
- Tickets in the Danny Bergara Stand and Cheadle End are still available for this fixture, priced at just £10! Click here to order yours today!
- Please note that from this season, Food & Beverage around the stadium will be operating on a cashless only basis.
- Please note that the County Courtyard will be closed for this Carabao Cup tie.
- Carabao Cup fixtures are not available to stream, either domestically or overseas. The game will be available to watch in the UK live on Sky Sports+, whilst live audio commentary will be available for all supporters over on Stockport County Live. Click here to purchase your audio packages today.
Our opponents:
After spending 2022 and 2023 pushing for the play-off places in the Championship, last season was rather more turbulent for Blackburn Rovers and their supporters.
Only goal difference denied them a place in the top six in 2022/23 under manager Jon Dahl Tomasson, and the Dane had them well placed again last November, with Rovers sat in 7th place.
A serious slump over the winter period, however, resulted in an eight game winless run that included six defeats, leaving them just five points clear of the relegation zone. They were also hampered by the loss of key players in January, including England midfielder Adam Wharton, who completed a move to Crystal Palace.
After that difficult run, it was announced in February that Tomasson would leave the club by mutual consent. The 47-year-old has since gone on to be named as manager of the Swedish national team, whilst former Birmingham City boss John Eustace was immediately brought in as his replacement.
Eustace was harshly sacked by Birmingham earlier in the season, despite the Blues occupying a play-off spot at the time, and the 44-year-old got off to the perfect start at Ewood Park with a 3-1 win over Stoke City in his first game in charge.
That would prove to be one of only two wins from his first 13 league games in charge though, with a 5-0 thrashing at Bristol City in April leaving them teetering just three points above the relegation zone with four games remaining.
A shock 1-0 win away at promotion-chasing Leeds United gave them a real boost, but they went into their game against Champions Leicester City on the final day as one of four teams who could still finish in the final relegation spot.
With the three teams immediately below them all winning, a defeat at the King Power Stadium would have consigned Rovers to League One for the first time since 2018. Instead, a double from Championship top scorer Sammie Szmodics, his 26th and 27th league goals of the season, saw them win 2-0 to keep their place in the second tier, ironically condemning Eustace’s former club Birmingham to relegation in the process.
Five players have been recruited over the Summer so far, mainly in attacking areas with the additions of Andreas Weimann, Yuki Ohashi and Makhtar Gueye. Weimann and Ohashi both marked their debuts with a goal on Friday night, coming off the bench on the hour mark to have an immediate impact at their new club.
Those goals were part of a clinical final 30 minutes against Derby that saw them put the newly promoted side to the sword, with Szmodics also coming on as a substitute to grab his customary goal. It all hints at better things to come this season for Rovers, as they look to put those relegation worries firmly behind them.
Match Stats:
- Tuesday night will be just the 12th competitive meeting between the two sides, and the first since a 0-0 draw in April 2001. County have won just two of the previous encounters to Blackburn’s eight, with our last win famously coming in this competition in 1996 – a 1-0 victory at Ewood Park, just a year on from Rovers being crowned Premier League Champions.
- Since returning to the EFL two years ago, our two previous Carabao Cup campaigns have seen us knocked out on penalties – at home to Leicester City in 2022, and away at Sheffield Wednesday in 2023.
- County will be looking to knock out a team from a higher division for the first time in this competition since 2007/08, when a League One Tranmere Rovers side were beaten 1-0 at Edgeley Park.
