Derby County is gearing up for their first Championship match against Blackburn Rovers, who are currently facing multiple challenges before the opener.

Having signed six new players, Derby’s summer recruitment efforts have been promising, but manager Paul Warne remains active in the transfer market. He anticipates at least three additional signings, including a goalkeeper, central midfielder, and striker, before the Blackburn fixture on August 8th.

While Derby has made progress with securing players like Swedish goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, Warne is also eyeing a potential return for Elliot Embleton.

Contrastingly, Blackburn is encountering significant issues this summer, having yet to sign any senior players. Additionally, with key players like Sam Gallagher likely moving away, and injuries affecting their squad depth, the team faces challenges before the season kick-off.

Derby, despite recent pre-season losses, is comparatively in a more stable position than Blackburn, heading into the Championship opener. The Rams will aim to leverage their momentum from last season’s promotion and use their counter-attacking strengths against Blackburn’s possession-based approach to secure a positive start to the new campaign.