Preview: Blackburn Rovers vs Cardiff City - prediction, team news, lineups

Looking to record their third Ewood Park success of the campaign, Blackburn Rovers welcome Cardiff City to Lancashire for a Championship clash on Saturday afternoon.

The Rovers picked up a respectable point at the base of Portsmouth prior to the international pause, whereas the Bluebirds enjoyed a long overdue home success at the expense of Charlton Athletic.

Match preview

After finishing just five points above the relegation zone last season, Blackburn Rovers are hoping to avoid bottom-three worries this time around, with recent results suggesting that a more comfortable campaign could be on the cards.

Prior to the extended September/October international break, Rovers halted a four-game winless run (D1 L3) in the Championship with four points across two matches against Millwall and Portsmouth.

Netting Blackburn's first goal in the 2-2 draw a Fratton Park on September 19, Oladapo Afolayan has made a positive start to his first full campaign in the second tier, with the former Bolton Wanderers attacker providing five goal contributions in eight league appearances.

Winless across their opening four Championship away contests (D1 L3), it was imperative that Tony Mowbray's men were more potent at Ewood Park, where they have collected two wins from four fixtures so far.

Given that Blackburn recorded just four home victories from 23 matches last season, there has been considerable Lancashire improvement for Saturday's hosts, who have won four of their past five home clashes with Cardiff.

Starting their return to the second tier of football with a seven-game winless streak (D4 L3), Cardiff City broke their duck and dismantled Charlton by a 3-1 scoreline in South Wales last time out.

Tyrece Campbell's first-half strike was a mere consolation for the visiting Addicks as the Bluebirds recorded a deserved success, with Jack Moylan (2) and Yousef Salech both breaching the net of Arthur Okonkwo.

Courtesy of that victory over Nathan Jones's troops, Cardiff have jumped out of the relegation zone and into 21st spot in the Championship standings, two points ahead of 22nd-placed Derby County.

Going unbeaten in South Wales so far this season, the Bluebirds have struggled to translate that home form on the road, with Saturday's visitors collecting just a single point from four second-tier outings in 2026-27.

Cardiff have suffered 5-1 and 5-2 defeats at Ewood Park since the start of the 2020s but still possess good recent memories of the venue, beating Blackburn 2-1 in a Championship fixture in March 2025.

Blackburn Rovers Championship form:

Cardiff City Championship form:

Team News

After getting through an Under-21s fixture unscathed, Blackburn defender Scott Wharton could return to first-team action this weekend.

Netting in a friendly match against Everton during the international break, Augustus Kargbo is heading towards his first senior appearance in nearly a year.

Cardiff are sweating over the fitness of first-choice striker Salech, who picked up a shoulder problem during the victory over Charlton.

There is better news in the backline of the Bluebirds, though, with centre-backs Dylan Lawlor and Will Fish expected to be available.

A former regular for Premier League Arsenal, Callum Chambers is yet to return to training, whilst Krystian Bielik begins his two-game suspension for an incident with a supporter at Portsmouth in September.

Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:

Toth; Alebiosu, Atcheson, McLoughlin, Pickering; Morishita, Morsy, Montgomery, Cantwell, Afolayan; Gudjohnsen

Cardiff City possible starting lineup:

Trott; Ng, Lawlor, Osho, Bagan; Robertson, Colwill, Tanner, Moylan, Willock; Ashford