BLACKBURN Rovers first home game back in the Premiership will be against defending champions Manchester United.

Rovers kick off their campaign with a trip to Derby County on Saturday, August 18 but will entertain United the following Wednesday at Ewood Park.

Club secretary Tom Finn underlined Rovers return to the big time by saying: "They don't come much bigger than that -- playing the champions in your first home game of the season."

Rovers have played Derby County on the opening day of the season in their last two Premiership campaigns and last season won 5-2 in an FA Cup replay.

Mr Finn added: "Rovers fans have happy memories of Pride Park having beaten them in the cup last season.

"It's funny that we have played them on the first game in our last two seasons in the Premiership. But both of those matches have been at Ewood Park."

Graeme Souness's men will entertain Tottenham Hotspurs on August 25 before travelling to Sunderland on September 8.

They then have home games against North West rivals Bolton Wanderers and Everton later in the month.

"We have some very big games in the opening weeks of the season," added Mr Finn. "Rovers fans can look forward to their first trip to Sunderland's Stadium of Light.

"Then we have matches against our North West rivals. There are certainly a few challenges ahead and fixtures that will get the pulses racing. But this is what it is all about."

Finn stressed that the fixtures are subject to change with Sky TV set to choose their live matches for the first half of the season.

For a fill list of the season's fixtures pick up a copy of today's Lancashire Evening Telegraph, on the streets at lunchtime...