Wolves host Blackburn in first Championship game in eight years

Wolves begin their Championship campaign on Friday night against Blackburn Rovers. This fixture marks the first time the two sides have met in the division on opening day in eight years.

Cesar Peixoto will lead the Wolves side for his first league game in charge. The head coach is managing several fitness concerns ahead of the opener, as Sam Johnstone, Rafiki Said, and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde remain unavailable due to injury. While Kieran Trippier and Raul Jimenez could potentially make their debuts, Jimenez requires more time to reach full fitness. Ladislav Krejci also remains a doubt for the starting eleven despite appearing as a substitute against Port Vale last week.

Blackburn Rovers arrive at Molineux with a new addition in Wolverhampton-born midfielder Sam Morsy, who joined on a free transfer and is available for selection. The visitors will be without Lewis Miller, Moussa Baradji, and Dion De Neve due to injuries. Mathias Jorgensen is close to returning but will not travel, though Scott Wharton and Augustus Kargbo have returned to training.

Both teams enter the match following wins in the Carabao Cup. Wolves secured a comfortable victory over Port Vale with goals from Adam Armstrong, Andre, and Fer Lopez. Blackburn progressed after a 2-1 comeback win against Burton Albion, featuring late goals from Andri Gudjohnsen and Jayden Fevrier.

History favors the Old Gold in this specific opening day matchup. In 2015, Wolves secured an away win at Ewood Park under the late Kenny Jackett. That encounter saw Benik Afobe open the scoring before Craig Conway equalized. Dave Edwards eventually scored a decisive goal before half-time to ensure a victory for the visitors.