Blackburn Rovers head coach Valerien Ismael. (Image: CameraSport - Lee Parker)
Blackburn Rovers head coach Valerien Ismael. (Image: CameraSport - Lee Parker)
Blackburn Rovers will face Everton in a pre-season friendly at Ewood Park with their annual clash against Accrington Stanley also confirmed.
These are the first summer opponents that have been announced by the club, with supporters eagerly awaiting details on what the 2025/26 preparations will look like in July.
However, Premier League opposition will be one of the early summer tests for Valerien Ismael's side. Everton travel to Ewood Park on Saturday, July 19, at 3pm, in what will be Rovers' first home friendly since hosting Girona in 2023.
A week before, Rovers will travel to Accrington Stanley on July 12, with kick-off at 3pm. That is expected to be the club's first pre-season friendly of the summer for the fourth year running.
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Players are due back at the end of the month for testing, with pre-season training likely to start W/C June 30.
That would give Ismael almost two weeks to work with his players before travelling the short distance to Accrington. After facing Everton, Rovers will jet off to Spain for a week-long warm weather camp.
They will face two opponents at The Pinatar Arena, on Tuesday, July 22 and Friday, July 25. The teams they will be playing have not yet been announced, though supporters can travel and attend the matches.
It's likely that at least one more friendly will be arranged for the following week, with the Championship season then beginning on the weekend of August 8, as is tradition.
Rovers beat Accrington 2-1 in John Eustace's first pre-season game last season. Joe Rankin-Costello and Dilan Markanday scored the goals.
Blackburn haven't hosted Everton since July 2018, in another summer friendly. Rovers ran out 3-0 winners with goals from Darragh Lenihan, Dominic Samuel and Bradley Dack securing an eye-catching pre-season triumph.
Ticket details for the Accrington match have yet to be released but prices for the Everton fixture are £10 for adult Season Ticket Holders. Non-STHs will pay an extra £2 on each category and will be available later this month.