Wolverhampton Wanderers v Blackburn Rovers: in-form hosts meet visitors unbeaten in three | OneFootball

Wolverhampton Wanderers host Blackburn Rovers in the Championship opener on Friday, 14 August 2026 at Molineux, with both sides looking to translate positive summer form into early points.

Wolverhampton Wanderers won the most recent meeting, a 2-0 FA Cup tie away at Ewood Park in February 2025, while the previous league clashes in 2016-17 ended level.

Wolves arrive with four wins in five, all with clean sheets in those victories, including 3-0 results against Port Vale in the EFL Cup and Racing de Santander, plus a 2-0 success at Doncaster. Blackburn Rovers' build-up featured a 2-0 friendly win at Strasbourg, a 1-1 draw at Huddersfield and a 2-1 EFL Cup win at Burton, leaving them unbeaten in three since a defeat to Nottingham Forest.

The hosts are without Sam Johnstone, Jeanricner Bellegarde and Rafiki Said Ahamada. Blackburn Rovers list Scott Wharton, Augustus Kargbo, Lewis Miller, Dion De Neve and Moussa Baradji among their absentees, with defenders Wharton and Miller sidelined.

Wolves could lean on attacking options such as Hwang Hee-chan, Adam Armstrong and Sasa Kalajdzic to build on recent clean sheets. For Blackburn Rovers, Oladapo Afolayan, Todd Cantwell and Yuki Ohashi may carry the threat, and they have scored in back-to-back away games.

A win would put either side on three points to start the campaign. Wolves then visit Preston North End on 22 August, while Blackburn Rovers host Middlesbrough the same day.