Following the draw of the first round of the Carabao Cup which took place on the morning of Tuesday 18th August, Rovers were offered a home tie against League 1 side, Doncaster Rovers, with a provisional playing date against Darren Moore’s side set for Saturday 5th September, a week before the scheduled start of the respective EFL campaigns, yet the date could potentially change due to the international break.
This tie is one that has not disappointed for drama during past couple of years, with the last two meetings in League 1 during the 2017-18 season serving up contrasting consequences for Rovers. Of course, the clash at Ewood Park vs Doncaster in League 1, saw Rovers fall to a surprise 3-1 home defeat before fortunes changed for Tony Mowbray and his men, as the corresponding fixture at the Keepmoat Stadium saw the Blues clinch promotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking with a 1-0 win, which came courtesy of a Charlie Mulgrew header.
With Rovers set to face their first League 1 side in this round of the competition, since the surprise 2-1 home defeat to Shrewsbury Town in 2015-16, Mowbray’s men will no doubt want to avoid an early ‘cupset’ and advance into the second round in order to build some momentum, prior to the start of the rescheduled season.
As the game is set to be Rovers’ first game of the season, there will be a lot of anticipation amongst the support base, in the hope that this game could be a confidence booster before the Championship season starts. With Rovers yet to make a move in the transfer department as of writing, this game could offer Mowbray a chance to cast an eye on the promising youth prospects at the club, as he did during the latter stages of 2019-20. If Rovers were to make additions by the time this tie is played, it would also be a good opportunity to bleed them into the squad in a rather ‘low-risk’ competitive game, with the league the obvious priority for Rovers this season.
Whilst it is unknown at this stage whether supporters will be allowed into the ground due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, if a return to Ewood Park does not materialise for the supporters, then the club will no doubt offer supporters a streaming alternative.
