Wolves and Blackburn will clash at Molineux on Friday night to kick off the EFL season 2026/27.

The first game of the season is usually highly anticipated, and the bulk of the sold-out audience will be hoping that the hosts can do well in their first game at this level since 2018.

Wolves are anticipated to compete for automatic promotion this season, but it is unclear how they will adjust to life under Cesar Peixoto, who was unexpectedly selected as Rob Edwards’ successor in the summer.

This will be his first taste of league football in England, after the Portuguese coach led Wolves to a 3-0 home victory over Port Vale in the League Cup.

Meanwhile, Rovers selected a new manager this summer, but it was a familiar face: Tony Mowbray returned to Ewood Park.

That will be a popular decision among fans, but it is evident that the manager requires support if he is to steer Blackburn away from relegation this season.

Even though they will travel to the Black Country as underdogs, the veteran Mowbray will embrace the opportunity, since he has a strong record against Wolves in the past.

We present the most recent team news for the next game, including seven players who are unlikely to play.

Sam Johnstone

The goalkeeper has been linked with a transfer away from Wolves for much of the summer, and a departure appears to benefit all sides.

For the time being, Johnstone is still a Wolves player who is working his way back from a shoulder injury that necessitated surgery in the summer.

Wolves announced the ex-Aston Villa player will return to full training around this time, but Johnstone hasn’t played a minute of pre-season, so this game will come too soon for him.

Jean Ricner Bellegarde

The Haiti international came late at Wolves after his World Cup obligations, but in a devastating setback for Peixoto, Bellegarde sustained a hamstring injury that will sideline him for the first half of the season.

Like other Molineux players, Bellegarde’s future is in jeopardy, although this injury may mean he stays until at least January.

He has the potential to be a key player for Wolves this season, but he may not be ready to play until the September international break.

Rafiki Said

The winger is Wolves’ only summer signing, but he suffered an injury just 20 minutes into his first pre-season game in Old Gold against Maidenhead.

The club revealed that Said had injured his MCL, and the knee ailment means that he will be in a brace until mid-September, and it might be another month before he makes his Wolves debut.

That was a significant blow for Peixoto, as Wolves are severely lacking depth out wide behind Mateus Mane and Rodrigo Gomes, so Said would have played some role against Rovers.

Scott Wharton

The defender missed Blackburn’s EFL Cup victory over Burton Albion last week owing to a thigh issue.

Fortunately, it does not appear to be a significant condition, which will be a relief for Wharton, who has had some bad luck with injuries over the years.

Nonetheless, the defender will not be involved in the trip to Molineux.

Lewis Miller

The Australian right-back was a consistent performer for Rovers last season, but he ruptured his Achilles tendon against Charlton in February.

That meant the former Hibernian player missed the World Cup, and he is currently healing from the injury, which could sideline him until Christmas.

So it’s not a new blow for Mowbray, but he’ll be glad to see Miller back later in the season, as he might be a key player for this squad.

Moussa Baradji

The midfielder injured his hamstring last week, so he had to sit out Blackburn’s victory over the Brewers.

After going through pre-season, it would have been a very frustrating setback to discover the problem just before competitive play began.

However, these things happen in football, and it has been speculated that Baradji might return to Mowbray’s squad at the beginning of September.

Augustus Kargbo

The forward missed Rovers’ last three friendlies and has yet to return to the pitch. He will need time to prepare for Championship demands, so the game against Wolves may come too soon.