Preview: Blackburn Rovers vs. Morecambe - prediction, team news, lineups

Following their promotion to League One last year, Morecambe will get the chance to test themselves against Championship opposition on Tuesday, when they make the short trip to take on Blackburn Rovers away from home in EFL Cup action.

The visitors started with a draw against Ipswich on Saturday in League One, while Blackburn kicked off the Championship season with a victory over Swansea City.

Match preview

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After a 15th-placed finish last year, Blackburn Rovers were handed a difficult start to the new Championship campaign, playing host to a Swansea side who reached the playoff final last season.

Sam Gallagher's opener meant they went into the break ahead, and Ben Brereton would double their lead early in the second half with a converted penalty.

Jamie Paterson quickly reduced the deficit back to one goal, but Rovers would stand strong to keep the Swans at bay and secure all three points.

After an underwhelming pre-season campaign, that was an impressive start for Tony Mowbray's men, who will be keen to build a winning run to start the season, meaning they will be desperate to advance with a victory over the visiting League One outfit on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Morecambe will arrive at Ewood Park with the aim of causing an upset to book their spot in the second round.

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Derek Adams led the Shrimps to a fourth-placed finish in League Two last year, and they narrowly got through the playoff semi-finals with a 3-2 aggregate win over Tranmere Rovers.

They then met Newport County in the final at Wembley, and the clash finished goalless after 90 minutes, with a Carlos Mendes Gomes penalty in the second half of extra time making the difference and sending Morecambe up.

Adams would then depart over the summer, but Stephen Robinson led them into the new season in style on Saturday as they looked set to defeat a heavily-fancied Ipswich Town side.

A Cole Stockton brace saw the Shrimps go ahead on two separate occasions, with the latter in the 72nd minute looking to have made the difference, only for Macauley Bonne to draw the Tractor Boys level with an injury-time goal.

While they will feel disappointed after conceding a late equaliser, it is important that Morecambe take the positives from a point and an impressive performance against one of the sides heavily tipped for promotion, and they have another chance to record a statement win on Tuesday when they make the short trip to take on Championship opposition.

Team News

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Blackburn Rovers are without creative midfielder Bradley Dack, who is ruled out of the start of the season with an injury.

Meanwhile, striker Adam Armstrong has been linked with a move to the Premier League this summer, and Tony Mowbray opted to leave the former Newcastle United man out of his squad on Saturday.

In his absence, Tyrhys Dolan should again lead the line, having hugely impressed in Lancashire at the age of just 19 years old.

The Morecambe attack will be led by Cole Stockton, who hit a brace in the league opener to earn a point for his side.

They will hope that he can continue to fill the attacking hole left by Carlos Mendes Gomes, who departed for Luton Town in the summer after firing the Shrimps to promotion.

Jonathan Obika will remain out of action, having suffered a serious hamstring injury in pre-season.

Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:
Kaminski; Nyambe, Lenihan, Ayala, Pickering; Travis, Rothwell; Gallagher, Buckley, Brereton; Dolan

Morecambe possible starting lineup:
Letheren; Cooney, Delaney, O'Connor, Gibson; McLoughlin, Diagouraga, McCalmont; Gnahoua, Stockton, McDonald

We say: Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Morecambe

Given their positive start to the league season, Blackburn will come into Tuesday's game on a high, and they should have more than enough to get past Morecambe.

Even without Dack and Armstrong, Rovers boast an exciting collection of attacking talent that should cause plenty of problems for the Shrimps' back line.