Blackburn Rovers' Tony Mowbray Preparing for Burton Albion

Answer-First Lead

Blackburn Rovers will be treating their Carabao Cup tie against Burton Albion like a league game, according to boss Tony Mowbray. The Rovers will have a four-day build-up to the game, with Sunday and Monday off for rest and relaxation.

What Happened?

The Rovers kick off the new season with a trip to Burton Albion in the Carabao Cup first round. Mowbray is eager to get off to a winning start against the Brewers, who are managed by former Rovers boss Gary Bowyer. The head coach's first spell in charge at Ewood Park also began with a trip to the Pirelli Stadium in February 2017.

Why It Matters for Blackburn Rovers

The focus will all be on Burton and Mowbray started on the trip up watching them against Birmingham in pre-season. It looks as if it's going to be another physical, tough game. They've got some alright footballers and they've got good physicality about them.

What Comes Next?

The Rovers will build up to the game, with a week of preparation before heading to Burton. Mowbray is looking forward to working with new signing Jayden Fevrier, who was named in the squad for the first time at Huddersfield. The 23-year-old winger got his first taste of Championship football on loan at Charlton Athletic during the second half of last season.

League Standing

The Rovers finished last season in 20th place in the Championship, with 52 points from 46 games. They have scored 42 goals this season and conceded 56, with a goal difference of -14. They are 43 points behind leaders Coventry in the title race.

New Signing

Mowbray is looking forward to working with Fevrier and reckons he can offer something different in the wide areas once he is up to full speed. He needs minutes, but Mowbray is confident he can make an impact. The boss continued, "He can chop with the ball. He can look as if he's going to swing it in and chop. The guy's turning his back as if he's trying to block a shot. And all of a sudden, Fev has gone past him. He's got a little bit of that magic in his boots. We can't expect him to do it every time he touches the ball, but that's why he's here. And there'll be days when we all go, Wow, thank God we've got a guy who can skip past somebody in the box and cut it back and we score!"

Final Thoughts

The Rovers will be looking to get off to a winning start in the Carabao Cup, with a focus on building up to the game and giving their players a break. Mowbray is confident that his team can make an impact, with the new signing Fevrier set to make his debut.