ROVERS have announced their Carabao Cup first round tie at Coventry City will take place on August 8.

Tony Mowbray will return to his former club after the sides were drawn together in the first round of the league cup.

The game at the Ricoh Arena (7.45pm) will follow Rovers’ opening day trip to Southend United on  Saturday, August 5.

Mowbray left Coventry in September 2016, after 18 months in the hotseat, and won 26 of his 76 games in charge.  His number two at Rovers, Mark Venus, will also return to the club he left in March having stayed on the board of directors, and also served as caretaker manager at Coventry, following Mowbray’ departure.

Tickets will be priced at £12 for adults, £8 for concessions and £1 for Under-16s. A date for when they will go on sale is yet to be announced.

Rovers faced two League Two sides in last year's competition as they beat Mansfield Town 3-1 in round one, before edging past Crewe Alexandra 4-3 after extra-time in round two.  Their progress was ended in round three by Leeds United.

Rovers and Coventry haven't met since February 2009, an FA Cup fifth round replay which was decided by a solitary Leon Best goal.

They met in seven consecutive Premier League seasons between 1992/93 and 1998/99, and their last meeting in the league cup came in October 1994 where an Alan Shearer brace saw Rovers progress at Ewood Park.