Preview: Blackburn Rovers vs. Blackpool – prediction, team news, lineups

On Tuesday, Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers will welcome League One Blackpool to Ewood Park for an EFL Cup clash.

Blackburn thrashed Stockport County to seal their spot in the second round, while the Tangerines breezed past Burton Albion.

Match preview

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Blackburn have made an encouraging start to their first full season under John Eustace, having seen their first four matches produce three wins and one draw.

They kicked off the campaign with a 4-2 win over Derby County, before they thumped Stockport 6-1 in the first round of the EFL Cup.

Rovers went on to net a late equaliser to draw 2-2 in their away meeting with Norwich City, and they produced more late heroics in Saturday’s home game against newly-promoted Oxford United.

Joe Rankin-Costello cancelled out Mark Harris‘s opener, before Arnor Sigurdsson netted an 83rd-minute winner to record back-to-back home wins, leaving Blackburn in third place after three matches.

They will now turn their attention to EFL Cup action, and they will fancy their chances of reaching the next round, having won their last two matches against Blackpool by a 1-0 scoreline.

Meanwhile, Blackpool are currently searching for a permanent manager after sacking Neil Critchley following the first three competitive games of the season.

Critchley may have overseen an EFL Cup win over 10-man Burton Albion, but he was unable to take anything from the first two league games of the season, seeing his side lose 2-1 to Crawley Town and 3-0 to Stockport County.

The Blackpool hierarchy ultimately decided to call time on Critchley’s second spell in charge and subsequently placed Richard Keogh in interim charge.

Keogh appeared to be on course to lead Blackpool to their first league win of the season in Saturday’s clash against Cambridge United, with James Husband netting a brace before Kyle Joseph and Dom Ballard found the net to establish a 4-1 lead, only to see the U’s mount a late fightback to rescue draw 4-4 at the Abbey Stadium.

The 38-year-old is likely to remain in charge for Tuesday’s EFL Cup tie, and he will be looking to guide the Tangerines to the third round for the first time since 2018-19.

Blackburn Rovers EFL Cup form:

Blackburn Rovers form (all competitions):

Blackpool EFL Cup form:

Blackpool form (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

Blackburn remain without the services of Scott Wharton and Harry Leonard, who are working on their recovery from knee and shoulder injuries respectively.

Eustace could be tempted to make several changes, with Danny Batth, John Buckley, Andreas Weimann and Makhtar Gueye among those who could be considered for starting spots.

Sigurdsson started the first-round tie and is expected to feature in the lineup on Tuesday, especially after he came off the bench to score the winning goal against Oxford.

Meanwhile, Blackpool are expected to be without midfielder Albie Morgan, who has missed the first four matches of the season through injuries.

Goalkeeper Richard O’Donnell will start a second straight game after Dan Grimshaw completed a move to Plymouth Argyle on Friday.

Keogh could be tempted to freshen up his side with at least a couple of changes, with Matthew Pennington and Sonny Carey pushing for starting spots after dropping down to the bench against Cambridge.

Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:
Pears; Brittain, Carter, Batth, Pickering; Buckley, Tronstad; Rankin-Costello, Weimann, Sigurdsson; Gueye

Blackpool possible starting lineup:
O’Donnell; Pennington, Baggott, Husband; Hamilton, Carey, Evans, Coulson; Joseph, Ballard, Fletcher

We say: Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Blackpool

Blackburn have made an impressive start to the new season, and we think they will showcase their Championship quality to dispatch a Blackpool side who may be low on confidence after failing to win any of their opening three league games.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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