Krul in: The ideal Blackburn Rovers XI v Derby County on August 9th | OneFootball

How many new signings could John Eustace start in his side's opening game of the campaign

Blackburn Rovers will get the 2024/25 Championship season underway in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Friday 9th August.

John Eustace's side will kick off the action at Ewood Park, with last season's League One promotion winners Derby County making the trip to Lancashire.

For their part, Rovers endured a highly underwhelming campaign in 2023/24, with only that final day victory at title winners Leicester City - yet again inspired by Sammie Szmodics - confirming second-tier status for 2024/25.

There is, therefore, pressure to start strong this season to ease some of the concerns about a repeat of those struggles, and that would also help Eustace win over sections of the fanbase.

However, that could be influenced by exactly which players are available to him for the start of the campaign, amid a quiet start to the summer transfer window at Ewood Park.

So, with that in mind, here's a look at who could be in a dream Blackburn Rovers starting XI with Derby County in just a few weeks' time.

Given they ought to be hoping to start the season strongly, we're looking for Eustace to show that intent by operating with two, rather than three, centre backs in a 4-2-3-1 opposed to a 3-4-2-1 for that extra attacking outlet here, having often switched between those systems since his appointment.

Goalkeeper: Tim Krul

With Leo Wahlstedt already on his way out of Ewood Park after just a single season with the club, Rovers will need another goalkeeper to arrive during the summer window.

Recent reports have linked them with Tim Krul, and with another target - John Ruddy - having now signed for Newcastle, the Dutchman could be an ideal starter for Eustace's men once the season begins.

Aynsley Pears also made some bad errors for Blackburn last season, and so the sight of a 'keeper with plenty of top level experience such as Krul between the posts would be very much welcomed by many a Rovers fan.

Left-Back: Harry Pickering

Harry Pickering has been the first choice on the left of defence for Rovers in the past few seasons, and it is hard to see a reason for that to change here.

He has been a model of consistency throughout that time, both in terms of availability, and the reliability of his performance, rarely producing less than a 7/10, and he does seem to be better suited to a four-man defence over a five-man unit.

With a long-term contract under his belt as well, it would be a surprise if Pickering was not part of the starting lineup for Blackburn on the opening day of the season.

Centre Back: Dominic Hyam

After deservedly winning the club's Player of the Year award during his debut campaign at Ewood Park in the 2022/23 campaign, Dominic Hyam found things much tougher last season.

Even so, he did still produce some big performances at times, and is as reliable as any centre back in the division on his day. If he can produce that as consistently as he did in his first season with Blackburn this time around, it is a no-brainer that he should be starting on a weekly basis.

It will, though, also be interesting to see how things play out with his future this summer and beyond, with the Scotland international now entering the final year of his current contract at Ewood Park.

Like most of Blackburn's defensive options, Hayden Carter did not always perform to his highest level last season.

However, there were arguably signs that he was getting back to his best towards the end of the campaign, and if he can maintain that, he has done more than enough to show he is worthy of a starting spot in this side.

Indeed, the success of the academy is something that everybody connected with the club takes very seriously and proudly. So, with Scott Wharton set to miss most if not all the coming campaign through injury, it will be Carter flying the flag in defence in that respect.

Right-Back: Callum Brittain

Positional changes for others - more on that shortly - mean that Callum Brittain is currently the standout senior choice for the role on the right of this Rovers defence.

Despite something of a blip during the midway point of the season, the 26-year-old was, for the most part, one of the better performers for Blackburn across the course of the 2023/24 campaign.

Capable of offering an attacking threat down the right that Eustace seems to like from his full-backs, and with plenty of time remaining on his contract too, it would feel like something of a surprise if Brittain is not part of the starting XI come the opening day.

Centre Midfield: Sondre Tronstad

The one undoubted success story of last summer's transfer window for Blackburn, Sondre Tronstad, enjoyed an excellent debut campaign after arriving on a free transfer from Vitesse Arnhem.

A source of some much-needed experience on the pitch, the 28-year-old proved to be an excellent shield in front of the backline for Rovers, with his determination and tenacity when competing for every ball a major asset to the club.

Indeed, it was also an example set for others in the team, and so, with that leadership also among his attributes, the Norwegian looks a good bet to be starting against the Rams on August 9th.

Centre Midfield: Joe Rankin-Costello

The return of club captain Lewis Travis after his loan spell at Ipswich Town in the second half of last season adds to the competition for places in the centre of midfield.

However, it could be another of the club's academy graduates, Joe Rankin-Costello, who gets the nod in this role to start the campaign. The 24-year-old ended the campaign playing in a more natural role in the centre of the park, and performed well while doing so, despite spending most of his senior career prior to that point at right-back.

There is little reason not to rely on him to continue in that position at the start of the campaign, and his greater attacking instinct is a useful foil for the more defensive-minded Tronstad.

Left-Wing: Tyrhys Dolan

As things stand, Tyrhys Dolan faces a somewhat uncertain future, with Blackburn having to trigger a 12-month extension in his contract to avoid him leaving the club for free this summer.

It is unlikely they will want to see him go for nothing this time next year, meaning it would be no huge surprise if he was sold this summer, if he does not sign a new contract with the club before then.

Having him in the starting lineup on the opening day would therefore be a very promising sign for Rovers fans, since it would indicate that the winger, who has all the skills to be a major asset for the club, has put pen to paper on a deal to extend his stay at Ewood Park.

Attacking Midfielder: Sammie Szmodics

With his Golden Boot winning 27 Championship goals last season - 33 in all competitions - Sammie Szmodics almost single-handedly prevented Blackburn suffering relegation from the second-tier.

That has inevitably prompted plenty of speculation about the future of the Republic of Ireland international, with Premier League clubs such as Everton, Brentford and Leicester City, as well as Turkish giants Galatasaray, all credited with an interest in him.

As a result, his importance to the side means it would be a major boost to Rovers if he was to start the season at Ewood Park, and remain there beyond the end of the transfer window, in what would arguably be seen as a big show of intent by the club.

Right-Wing: Jesurun Rak-Sakyi

Blackburn have plenty of issues out wide with injury problems, struggles for consistent form, and the aforementioned uncertain future of Dolan, so another option in that area would be very welcome.

Not for the first time, the club are being linked with Crystal Palace's Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, who previously enjoyed an excellent spell on loan in League One in 2022/23, and who could therefore now be ready to make a big impact in the Championship.

Other second-tier sides such as Luton Town, Sunderland, Stoke City and QPR have also been credited with an interest in the 21-year-old, so it would be a coup for Rovers to get him. It would also show they can be smart in the market, by drawing on their connections from the hugely successful sale of Adam Wharton to Palace earlier this year, to get an advantage in this transfer battle.

Centre Forward: Theo Bair

Centre forward has been a major problem area for Rovers in recent years, with a lack of goals in that position, so at least one new signing to fill that role this summer is essential.

That could come in the form of Motherwell's Theo Bair, who has been linked with a move to Ewood Park among other potential destinations since the window opened. The Canada international enjoyed an impressive campaign in the Scottish Premiership last season, scoring 15 goals in 38 league games.

He may, therefore, be the goalscorer Blackburn have been looking for at centre forward, and after successful loans at Fir Park for the likes of Georgie Gent and Jack Vale last season, the club may have the connections needed to negotiate a deal here.