League Two team Morecambe are set to take on Championship side Blackburn Rovers at the Mazuma Stadium on Friday as both teams continue their pre-season schedules.
The hosts have had a positive start to their pre-season with two wins and a draw from four outings, while the visitors have won two and lost one of their three friendlies.
Match preview
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After being promoted from League Two via the playoffs in 2020-21, Morecambe struggled to adapt to life in League One, narrowly escaping relegation by two points in their first campaign before succumbing to the drop in 2022-23.
Their first season back in the fourth division was far from ideal for the Shrimps, placing in 15th with 58 points from 46 games and a significant 12 points behind the playoff positions.
Former manager Derek Adams, who has managed the club twice before - including guiding them to League One for the first time in their history in 2021 - returned to the club ahead of the new campaign with ambitions of securing a return to the third tier.
While they have picked up largely positive results in their pre-season fixtures thus far, winning two and drawing one of their four friendlies, they have only faced lower-league opposition up to this point.
A defeat to Kendal Town saw Adams's side get off to a poor start to their preparations but victories against Longridge Town and Burscough followed before most recently drawing 1-1 with Workington.
Blackburn are preparing for their seventh consecutive Championship season after a hugely disappointing season that saw them fall from missing out on the playoffs on goal difference in 2022-23 to narrowly avoiding relegation to League One by just three points in the last campaign.
Sammie Szmodics was a key factor for their survival with the midfielder topping the league goalscoring charts with 27 goals, almost half of Blackburn's total goal tally for the season.
As the Riversiders prepare for the 2024-25 term, where they will be looking to move further back up the Championship table, John Eustace's men have already played three friendlies, beating Accrington Stanley and Tranmere Rovers before losing 4-2 to Nuremberg.
Eustace will be hoping his side can return to winning form against Morecambe as he aims to build a foundation of positive momentum to take into the upcoming season.
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Morecambe made full use of their squad in the 1-1 draw with Workington last time out, and Adams is expected to make wholesale changes throughout the game against Blackburn.
Jamie Stott scored the equalising goal in that match, and the defender is likely to line up alongside Luke Hendrie, Adam Lewis and Max Taylor here.
Young striker Harry Leonard is unlikely to feature in this game with the Englishman still recovering from an injury, leaving Sam Gallagher likely to start upfront.
Jake Garrett could also start for Blackburn alongside Lewis Travis, who returned from a loan spell at Ipswich Town last season, while Szmodics is unlikely to feature with rumours of a departure from the club.
Morecambe possible starting lineup:
Burgoyne; Hendrie, Lewis, Taylor, Stott; White, Slew; Jones, Tollitt, Lewis; Brown
Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:
Pears; Carter, Hyam, Pickering; Brittain, Travis, Garrett, Rankin-Costello; Dolan, Gallagher, Sigurdsson
We say: Morecambe 1-3 Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers come into this game as the favourites to pick up a victory with a much stronger squad at their disposal, and we expect them to do just that with an away win here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
