Blackburn Rovers are not exactly in crisis, but this first proper test of the season has arrived with just enough selection noise to keep things interesting. Sidnei Tavares is set to return for the Carabao Cup First Round tie against Burton Albion after missing last week through illness, which is the sort of tidy boost every manager likes before a knockout game. The catch? He is not coming back into a fully stocked squad.
Tony Mowbray made it clear that the 24-year-old did not feature in Blackburn's final pre-season match against Huddersfield Town because he was ill, but that absence should end now. The midfielder is expected to be back in the squad for the Burton Vs Blackburn Rovers tie, which at least gives Rovers one more option as they prepare for their first competitive game of the season.
Three players still missing, but no excuse for panic
The bigger story is that Blackburn are still dealing with several absences. Mowbray said there are three players who are unavailable and that anyone with hamstring issues or thigh strains is unlikely to be involved for this game. That is not ideal, especially with the Championship campaign against Wolves coming next weekend, but it is also not a full-blown disaster.
Mowbray was blunt enough to strip away any drama. He does not see this as a nightmare scenario, and that matters. There are no major injuries, and the expectation is that Blackburn will have almost a full squad within another week or two. In other words, this is awkward rather than alarming.
That is also why Sidnei Tavares' return matters. In a cup tie like this, depth is not a luxury; it is the whole point. If one midfielder comes back and three players stay out, the balance of the team shifts immediately. The manager has a decision to make, but he also has a useful problem: how to get through Burton without burning out players who will be needed much more when Wolves arrive next weekend.
Mowbray's attitude is the sensible one. Rather than moaning about the absences, he is treating them as a chance for other players to step in. That is the right frame, even if it is easier said than done. Early-season matches can expose thin squads quickly, and Blackburn would much prefer to get through this one cleanly and keep the momentum building.
So yes, Sidnei Tavares is back, and that is a welcome lift for Blackburn Rovers. But the real story is the same old one that shadows every early-season cup tie: one return, three still out, and just enough uncertainty to make Tony Mowbray's evening a little more complicated than he would like.
