Blackburn Rovers

Image source, EFL

A new initiative highlighting the work of football club charities has been launched by the English Football League (EFL).

'Scan to Smile' will be rolled out in stadiums across the EFL from Friday until the end of January, with supporters invited to scan QR codes on posters displayed around grounds.

Each scan will unlock a short, uplifting story from a person whose life has been positively impacted by the support of their local club charity.

The subjects tackled include mental health support, combating loneliness, improving physical wellbeing, employability and confidence.

The EFL said it hoped the initiative would use "the reach and influence of football to offer fans a moment of positivity on matchday".

Trevor Birch, chief executive at the EFL, said: "Behind every club are people whose lives have been positively changed through the work and dedication of their local EFL club charity.

"This initiative gives supporters the chance to see that impact first-hand and reminds us that football truly is a force for good."

Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Aynsley Pears is not for sale, according to head coach Valerien Ismael.

The 27-year-old former Middlesbrough keeper's future has been the subject of speculation but Ismael is adamant he will remain at Ewood Park.

"We have no intention to sell him in this window," the Frenchman told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"He was injured and he had an operation. He played with pain and knew we were in a difficult situation with our squad with a lot of injuries and he carried on anyway to help us."

Pears has made 13 appearances for Rovers this season, the last of which was a 2-2 Championship draw with Charlton on 4 January.

"With bodies coming back, he had the possibility to have a breather and assess his injury in the wrist and took the decision to have an operation which took him out for another two or three weeks," added Ismael.

"So you see there is no intention for anyone to leave the club or to sell him."

Blackburn host Watford in the Championship on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Blackburn Rovers' injury concerns meant they were forced to give first league starts to defender Connor O'Riordan, midfielder Brandon Powell and forward Aodhan Doherty in their 3-1 loss at Swansea on Tuesday.

Rovers are now in the relegation zone as they prepare to host a Watford side who could finish the weekend in the top six with a win at Ewood Park.

• After winning the reverse fixture 1-0 back in September last year, Blackburn Rovers will be looking to complete just a second league double over Watford after doing so in 1969-70.

• Watford have lost each of their past two league games against Blackburn Rovers. The Hornets have never lost three in succession in this fixture.

• So far during the 2025-26 Championship season, Blackburn have won just two of their 13 home league games (D4 L7), with only bottom side Sheffield Wednesday (0) managing fewer.

• Watford have won each of their past two away league games and will be looking to win three in succession on the road for the first time since December 2023, the third game of which was at Blackburn.

• Blackburn have won just one of their past 12 league games (D6 L5), and have conceded at least twice in all four so far in 2026 (D1 L3).

Image source, Shutterstock

All English Football League games across a four-day period in February will begin one minute late to raise awareness for the Every Minute Matters campaign.

The initiative will be in place for 36 matches across the Championship, League One and League Two between 5 and 9 February.

EFL sponsor Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) have been working together since May 2024 to highlight the importance of speed when it comes to performing live-saving CPR.

Later kick-off times will serve as "a stark reminder that every minute matters", the EFL said.

Bristol Rovers defender Tom Lockyer collapsed while playing for Luton Town eight minutes into the Championship play-off final against Coventry in May 2023.

Lockyer then suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch seven months later during a Premier League game at Bournemouth.

"What happened to me can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time," said Lockyer, who is now a BHF ambassador.

"Every year, more than 40,000 people in the UK suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and most of them never make it home.

"I'm here today because of the transformative power of CPR as every minute matters when it comes to saving a life.

"This February, we want everyone to get behind this life-saving initiative, learn the skills and be ready to step in because your actions could give someone else the chance I was given."

Throughout February, the Every Minute Matters campaign will call on fans to learn CPR using the BHF's online RevivR, external tool.

"Each minute without CPR reduces a person's chance of survival, so we're urging fans to learn the skills now, before you ever need them," said Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the BHF.

EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch added: "The one minute kick-off adjustment is a simple, powerful reminder that swift CPR can be the difference between life and death."

Blackburn's injury and selection issues mean they are struggling to compete in the Championship, according to head coach Valerien Ismael.

Tuesday night's 3-1 loss at Swansea has dropped Rovers to fourth from bottom in the table and a point for Portsmouth at Watford on Wednesday evening would leave them in the relegation zone.

"It's a difficult situation for us at the moment, not just the game," Ismael told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"The reality for us is we're missing 13 players and on the long run we are feeling it.

"We were competing this season away very well but the line-up looked very different with six or seven other players in the squad."

Ismael gave first senior starts to midfielder Brandon Powell, forward Aodhan Doherty and defender Connor O'Riordan at Swansea while captain Todd Cantwell missed the game through injury.

"At the moment we have more players having rehab than training with us on the pitch - it's a problem for us that we cannot compete," added Ismael.

"Nonetheless, I think for the game the three goals are avoidable, that's why we lost the game, nothing to do with the missing players.

"We just need to make sure we get some players back for Saturday and the week after and then the picture looks completely different but at the minute we are playing with half the academy in our squad (so) it will be difficult."

Blackburn host Watford in the Championship on Saturday, 24 January (15:00 GMT).

Blackburn Rovers will look to get out of striking distance of the bottom three as they visit Swansea City on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).

Rovers have not won in five straight league games (D3 L2) to see themselves just one point above the relegation zone.

But Swansea are only six points clear and will want to increase that distance with a victory on home soil.

• This will be the 50th league meeting between Swansea and Blackburn Rovers, with the Swans looking to win three in a row against Rovers for the very first time.

• Blackburn have only won one of their last eight league visits to Swansea (D1 L6), losing their last two since a 3-0 win in August 2022.

• Swansea have won four of their last seven league games played on a Tuesday (D1 L2), as many as their previous 29 beforehand (W4 D10 L15).

• Blackburn have won four of their last seven midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) away league games (D1 L2), as many as their previous 27 beforehand (W4 D2 L21).

• Blackburn's Valerien Ismael has won just one of his six previous Championship meetings with Swansea City (D1 L4), a 1-0 away victory with Watford in October 2023.

Lindsey Lewis
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Valerian Ismael isn't worried. After 12 minutes on Saturday lunchtime he must have been the only person associated with Blackburn Rovers at Portman Road able to make that statement.

It was a game I expected nothing from but that is the joy of the Championship - you never know what you are going to get.

Unfortunately, those in the away end for a 12:30 kick-off, having paid £38 for the privilege, were delivered another dreadful performance. These are becoming too frequent and for me, despite Valerian not being concerned, we are firmly in a relegation scrap.

Whilst the squad is ravaged by injury, that does not excuse the performance on Saturday.

Valerian's insistence of sticking with his 3-5-2 formation gives a real feeling of square pegs in round holes. The players look lost. Whilst there was an undoubted gulf in quality, there should never be a gulf in commitment, basics, decision-making and leadership.

Goals remain a problem. Whilst the introduction of Mathias Jorgensen brought the tiniest glimmer of hope, I felt by that stage I was reduced to 'man chases ball' as something to applaud and that should never be the case.

Whilst we can feel aggrieved by Darnell Furlong's challenge on Yuki Ohashi and subsequent apparent elbow to Todd Cantwell, Ipswich also had a penalty denied and a number of chances saved by Balazs Toth which kept the result from being a cricket score.

So comes a huge week for Rovers on and off the pitch. On it they face Swansea on Tuesday night needing to bounce back from a performance that left even the most loyal of fans troubled. Then on to Saturday, Watford at home awaits.

The bigger story is perhaps off the pitch with the Blackburn Rovers Supporters' Coalition calling for a boycott of this game and a change in the club's ownership. As always there is never a dull moment following this club.

Andy Bayes
Sports editor, BBC Radio Lancashire

Image source, Shutterstock Editorial

A day that started with hopes of pulling further away from danger but ended with the realisation of being in the thick of a relegation battle.

Let's be clear, Ipswich Town have a better squad than Blackburn Rovers. Of that there is no doubt.

The two clubs have different objectives, and the resources that both clubs have at their disposal are further apart than the considerable distance between the two towns.

Any team who can bring on Jack Clarke, Wes Burns and Sam Szmodics as subs really does mean business.

But Rovers' injury-depleted squad contributed considerably to their own downfall at Portman Road.

Eiran Cashin, making his league debut for the club, found his own net early on. It was a blow they never particularly looked like coming back from.

Once Jack Taylor had made it two after 12 minutes, it was as good as game over.

On too many occasions, Ipswich made first contact with set pieces, Rovers made unforced errors time and again, and a painful lack of goals or creativity made it an almost impossible task.

They had their moments. Three key incidents all went against them. Referee Andrew Kitchen penalised Moussa Baradji in the first half as he won the ball on the edge of the Ipswich box; Yuki Ohashi finished well, but the whistle had already gone.

Ohashi was denied a penalty after being pushed in the back by Darnell Furlong, and Furlong again was involved with an apparent elbow on Todd Cantwell. It must also be said that referee Kitchen denied Ipswich a penalty as well for Cashin's challenge on Ivan Azon.

Big moments that never seem to go your way when you're in the lower reaches.

I posed the question to Valerien Ismael if he was worried by the current run of one win in 12 matches. The answer was emphatically no.

It's his job to be positive in trying circumstances, but in the cold light of day results dictate that unless they can start scoring goals and winning games, then this could be a scrap to the end.

Ismael says he's never seen a season like it in terms of injuries. I'd have to agree there. Yet again, it was two players back in and three fresh injuries.

Undoubtedly, they will be a better team with the return of Ryan Alebiosu, Scott Wharton, Hayden Carter, Lewis Miller, Ryoya Morishita, Andri Gudjohnsen and Kristi Montgomery.

Whether their return signals the end of the injury troubles remains to be seen.

Recruitment continues to suit the 3-5-2 system, a switch which has seen them pick up 21 points from 18 league games, with five wins, six draws and seven defeats.

After the permanent signing of forward Mathias Jorgensen, Ismael wants another frontman, so he's got four options.

I'd suggest that a left-sided wing-back is also required with Ryan Hedges' season looking as good as over. But remaining in the confines of a 25-man senior squad will dictate what they can do. They currently stand at 26 seniors.

Some who have found themselves on the periphery will have to be sacrificed.

Blackburn head coach Valerien Ismael told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"I think it was another clear penalty on Yuki [Ohashi]. I think at some point the ref has to do the job.

"It's another one, another big decision.

"The clear red card on Toddy [Cantwell]…it's clear we urgently need VAR in the Championship because the players allow themselves to make bad tackles.

"In a situation like that, I think if you know you have VAR there we won't have those situations and discussions every time.

"It's just embarrassing every time, week in, week out. Massive decisions.

"It doesn't change the first half when we conceded two goals but at least in a 90-minute game maybe it can be the key moment when you come back into the game."

New Blackburn striker Mathias Jorgensen says he is excited to bring his A-game to Rovers - potentially starting at Ipswich on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The 25-year-old Dane arrived on a three-and-a-half-year deal from Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt late on Thursday and trained with his new team for the first time on Friday.

With leading scorer Andri Gudjohnsen sidelined by a hamstring injury, Jorgensen could make his debut the following day.

He told BBC Radio Lancashire: "It's fun to try to bring your A-game immediately. I'll do my best for the club if the gaffer calls my name."

Jorgensen made three Champions League appearances for Bodo this season, having previously played for Aalborg and MLS side New York Red Bulls.

"Trying to adapt to a new culture and team, I have tried it before," he said. "I have some experience. I hope it will help me settle in quickly.

"It's such an intense league with so many games and so much quality in the teams, it's competitive and I'm excited to try to bring my best to the league and contribute to help the team to great success."

He added: "It's important I can help the team with hard work, that's the minimum criteria for getting success, then hopefully I can contribute with goals and assists.

"I think we're on a great journey. I am so excited to be here."

Valerien Ismael says the capture of Danish striker Mathias Jorgensen has taken some pressure off Blackburn in the transfer window.

Rovers have failed to score in four of their five games since leading scorer Andri Gudjohnsen suffered a hamstring injury on 20 December.

The Iceland international's goal against Millwall that afternoon was his seventh in 11 games but Rovers have not won since, drawing three of their four Championship games while they went out of the FA Cup on penalties at Hull City on Sunday after a goalless draw.

"We wanted a second striker, the fact we brought Mathi in now will help us a lot," Ismael told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"It helps us be a bit more patient in the market (and) the only way to get the deals done is to be patient.

"It's like building a house. The foundation is there (defence) and now it's all about improving every level, our attacking phase, and getting everyone on the same level, we need all the players back.

"It might take two or three weeks to get at least half the group back on the pitch and then another couple of weeks to get them 100%."

Jorgensen arrived from Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt, where he chose to sign from Aalborg in the summer, rather than move to Ewood Park.

"We were on him in the summer. We agreed everything but in the end he got a better offer and decided to play in the Champions League," Ismael added.

"I was surprised he was available but we are completely convinced of his quality, the type of player he is, his leadership already. I am really pleased we were able to get the deal done. I know what he can bring to the team.

"He was in pre-season with Bodo, played 70 minutes at the beginning of the week. He is ready to go. We have to take care of him, but we need him."

Ismael said reports suggesting he was set to sign Norway winger Aaron Donnum from Toulouse were "completely fake news" and revealed Balasz Toth will start in goal at Ipswich on Saturday (15:00 GMT) as Aynsley Pears is nursing a wrist injury.

"We expected Ipswich to be (near the top of the table)," Ismael added.

"The good thing is we have played twice well against them (in the abandoned game in September and the 1-1 draw at Ewood Park in December).

"We know what we have to do. It will be a tough away game but this season we have had some great away performances."

Image source, Opta

Ipswich Town will resume their Championship promotion push with the visit of Blackburn Rovers to Portman Road on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

The Tractor Boys have motored up the standings, taking 16 points from the seven games since these sides drew 1-1 in the rearranged fixture at Ewood Park on 2 December.

If Middlesbrough fail to win at West Brom on Friday night, Kieran McKenna's side would climb into the automatic promotion places with a win against Rovers, who start the day 20th, four points above the relegation zone, after a run of one win in 10 games dating back to November.

• Ipswich Town are unbeaten in their past nine home league games against Blackburn Rovers (W4 D5) since losing 3-1 in 1994/95 in the Premier League.

• Blackburn have won one of their past eight league games against Ipswich Town (D3 L4), a 2-0 home win in January 2019.

• Since the start of November, Ipswich Town have won the most points in the Championship (28) and only Sheffield United (27) have netted more goals than the Tractor Boys (25).

• Blackburn Rovers have drawn six of their past nine league matches (W1 L2) – their previous six draws beforehand came over a period of 51 games (W20 D6 L25).

• Ipswich's Azor Matusiwa has made the most interceptions (46) of any Championship player this season, while he also ranks third for possession won (140).

Image source, Shutterstock

Blackburn Rovers striker Makhtar Gueye has joined Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua for an undisclosed fee.

The 28-year-old signed for Rovers from Belgian side RWD Molenbeek in the summer of 2024.

The Senegalese forward went on to score eight goals in 48 appearances during his first season but has been limited for opportunities this term.

Of his 16 league appearances in 2025-26, all of them have come as a substitute.

"Everyone at Blackburn Rovers thanks Pape for his efforts and the memorable moments he provided during his time at the club, and we wish him well in the future," a club statement said.

Middlesbrough, Preston and Blackburn all sent scouts to watch 28-year-old Barnsley striker Davis Keillor-Dunn, who has 14 goals for the Tykes this season, in action against Liverpool on Monday night. (Pete O'Rourke, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip column here.

Andy Bayes
Sports editor, BBC Radio Lancashire

Image source, Getty Images

The domestic cups for Blackburn Rovers in 2025-26 have both been short-lived experiences.

They exited the EFL Cup in August with a much-changed team, and the same thing happened in the FA Cup at Hull on Sunday.

The 6,627 in attendance will have found the game at the MKM a tough watch. A cold, wet and windy January afternoon saw the two sides muster three shots on target between them in two hours of football.

It was one of those occasions where that old phrase, 'If they were still playing now, nobody would have scored,' would be a pretty accurate assessment.

Rovers made eight changes to the team that fought back to draw with Charlton a week earlier. Four made full debuts, with another from the bench tasting senior action for the first time.

Of the 17 players who set foot on the pitch at Hull, six of them are academy graduates or, in some cases, are still academy players. Two more were unused substitutes.

In a challenging season for a variety of reasons, this has to be seen as a real positive. Yes, the majority have been thrown in due to necessity more than choice, but it can only help each and every one of them in their careers going forward.

The big takeaway from the match is that it's abundantly clear where the squad issues lie. It's been clear for a while.

Since Andri Gudjohnsen went out of the team through injury, Rovers haven't scored in four of the last five games.

With a head coach wedded to a 3-5-2 formation, it's a massive problem that the squad boasts one senior striker.

Ismael is clear that he wants two more front men this month. It sounds straightforward in theory, but the reality is anything but. This is the stage of the season where the premium for someone who can find the net grows out of all proportion.

Decisions have been made to part with Makhtar Gueye and homegrown striker Harry Leonard already this season. Gueye, you can fully understand moving on, but Leonard's form and injury-free record for Peterborough this season is making some wonder why he wasn't given a bigger chance to prove his worth.

The left wing-back position is also an area of concern.

Ryan Hedges has proved to be the most natural and consistent fit, but surgery this week will confirm whether or not his season comes to a premature end. It remains to be seen if he's given a new contract; if he isn't, he could well have played his final game for the club.

The midfield area is a bit of a head scratcher. If Sondre Tronstad, Todd Cantwell, Ryoya Morishita and Moussa Baradji all stay relatively injury-free, they'll be ok. But you can't guarantee that.

All four have already had layoffs this season, as have Sidnei Tavares, Adam Forshaw and Kristi Montgomery.

But the goalkeeping and defensive areas in general are now looking sound. Four clean sheets in the last six games suggest as much. And, if all goes according to plan, Ryan Alebiosu, Hayden Carter and Scott Wharton will be back sooner rather than later to further strengthen those areas.

Ismael couldn't be more clear that he needs new blood; one win in eleven backs that up pretty firmly. All eyes are on what can be done between now and 19:00 GMT on 2 February.

Image source, Shutterstock

Head coach Valerien Ismael praised Blackburn Rovers for their efforts despite going out of the FA Cup on penalties to Hull City.

The game finished goalless after extra time before Yuki Ohashi and Moussa Baradji had spot-kicks saved in the shoot-out as the Tigers progressed.

Rovers had made eight changes to their starting line-up, including two debutants and two others making their first start.

And it was in those circumstances that meant Ismael was pleased with how they coped.

"We made a brilliant performance when you see that we were without 12 players today - 10 injured players and two we left at home, Sondre [Tronstad] and Toddy [Cantwell]," the Frenchman told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"Academy players made their debut and it was interesting to see that.

"Hull played a strong team. We didn't see any difference. We were really good in our press, our intensity.

"We played really well but we didn't create the big, big chances. But I'm really proud of the boys and what they did today. It was a great away performance and at the end, it is just a lottery."

Pundits Dion Dublin and Phil Jones join host Kelly Somers to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's FA Cup ties.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to selected full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

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