Rovers will return to pre-season training on Monday (August 17) and are close to finalising their friendlies schedule.

Tony Mowbray afforded his players a three-and-a-half week break from the final game of the season against Luton Town but it will be full steam ahead from Monday.

That will give Rovers four full weeks of preparation time before their Championship opener on September 12, although they could be pressed in to Carabao Cup action two weeks earlier.

Fixtures for the new season are set to be released  on August 21, with games, at least initially, will continue to be played behind closed doors.

Rovers will wait until they know when, and how many, fans will be allowed inside Ewood Park before releasing season ticket details.

Mowbray has made clear his plan to focus pre-season on friendlies, rather than fitness, believing the work his players put in during lockdown, and after the re-start, will stand them in good stead.

As previously, Covid-19 testing will continue to take place in line with EFL guidelines and protocols.

The club are yet to announce their new kits for the 2020/21 season, with no date yet as to when they will be unveiled.

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FRIENDLIES

Rovers hope to welcome Premier League opposition to Ewood Park in their preparations for the new season, with a League Two opponent understood to have been lined up as well.

Liverpool and Everton were opponents in the summer of 2018, but Mowbray has been critical the level of opposition faced in friendlies during his time in charge.

The number of friendlies will be down on recent years, with Rovers having largely had six in previous seasons, but the players will still get plenty of game-time under their belts before the opening game.

“In my mind the pre-season is going to be about playing matches and getting the players up to speed. We’ll have three or four days making sure everyone is up to speed, everyone’s weight and testing is where they should be and then we’ll be playing,” Mowbray said.

“I hope we play against some Premier League teams at Ewood, and I hope we play against some lower league opposition away.

“We’ll play some games with the ball, some top teams in the Premier League where we’ll be without the ball and have to chase about, and then we’ll be ready.

“The season will then start and then we’re up and running again.”

All friendlies will be playing behind closed doors.

FIXTURE NEWS

Rovers will learn their fixture list on Friday, August 21 at 9am, with the first weeks of the season set to continue being played behind closed doors.

The late start to the season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and three international breaks to means the Championship will have a much bigger share of midweek fixtures, with 13 scheduled in all across the season.

The regular season will finish on either May 8 or May 9, with the play-off finals to take place at Wembley on the bank holiday weekend of May 29 to 31.

The draw for the first round of the Carabao Cup, divided into a northern and southern section and unseeded, will take place on Tuesday, August 18, a time for which is yet to be set.

First round ties will be played on the weekend of September 5, a week before the 2020/21 regular season will get underway.

That will clash with the first round of international fixtures, meaning Championship clubs could opt to switch their fixtures should they wish, or instead play without their internationals.

Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland are all in action, so as things stand, Rovers could be without Darragh Lenihan, Derrick Williams, Corry Evans and Charlie Mulgrew.

Rounds two, three and four will be played on consecutive midweeks dates starting on September 15 and 16.

The EFL have also confirmed Rovers aren’t one of the Category One Academy sides who will participate in next season’s EFL Trophy.

The FA Cup dates have also been set, with the third round proper to take place on January 9. The fourth round will be on January 23 with the fifth round on February 10.

The quarter-finals are planned for March 20, the semi-finals on April 17 and the final for May 15.

There will be no replays in any rounds of the competition. 

The FA have also announced the 2020/21 Youth Cup will get under way in September, but as yet, haven't published when the semi-finals of last season's competition, of which Rovers remain one of the four teams left, will be played, despite their intention to play it to a conclusion. 

NEW KITS

The club are yet to announce their new kits for the 2020/21 season, with no date given as to when they will be unveiled.

Rovers have 12 months left to run on the five-year deal they signed with kit supplier Umbro who replaced Nike in 2016.

Before then, Umbro had produced kits as early as 1975 and as recently as 2013 before Nike took over the contract.

The official training gear has already been released for next season, which Rovers wore ahead of their final home game of the season against Reading last month, and is currently on sale.

In 2018, Rovers announced a three-year, seven-figure, agreement with online sports betting which like the Umbro deal, has a further 12 months to run.

Last season Rovers had a navy blue third kit over concerns that their grey away shirt would cause too many clashes. They went on to wear their navy blue shirt in 10 of their 23 away games.

There is no information yet as to whether Rovers will require one again for 2020/21.