Here's a round-up of all the biggest talking points from Blackburn Rovers' first pre-season outing.

A new role for JRC

When Blackburn Rovers named their two teams for each half, it was pretty easy to see there was a 'first XI' and a 'second XI' in mind.

Eustace put his most senior players in for the first half, with Lewis Travis back in Rovers colours alongside Sondre Tronstad in midfield.

We assumed, looking at the names on the team sheet, that would mean a front three of Sam Gallagher on the right, Tyrhys Dolan on the left and Sam Szmodics down the middle.

However, it was actually Joe Rankin-Costello who played a right midfield role. He's played practically everywhere but this was a new one for him and he suited it.

READ MORE: TRANSFER LATEST WITH ROVERS PLAYER IN EXIT TALKS

Rankin-Costello is a goal threat and we know he likes to get forward. With Callum Brittain providing the width on the right-hand side, Rankin-Costello could drift into central attacking areas, as we have seen him do.

In-possession, it was almost 3-2-4-1, with a back three for build-up, Brittain and Dolan wide and then Szmodics and Rankin-Costello in support of Gallagher.

We know he has the fitness, defensive work rate and cuteness to start from wide and then drift in field and he did it well. It allowed Gallagher and Szmodics to play up front together, with Dolan high and wide on the opposite flank.

A moment of madness, from the referee

One of the most peculiar moments of the game came from the referee. After Sam Szmodics was forced off through injury just before half-time, Igor Tyjon came on.

He didn't touch the ball and the game lasted another 30 seconds before the whistle blew. So, in essence, he may as well have not been on the pitch.

Rovers then named their second-half team, with Tyjon still on the bench. They then tried to bring him on for the final 12 minutes.

Despite the fourth official allowing the change, the game was stopped and Tyjon was sent back off the pitch, with the referee arguing he'd already come on as a substitute and then had been taken back off.

Whilst he is technically right, this is a friendly match. Nobody is interested in anything other than fitness. It showed a complete lack of common sense.

Youngsters catch the eye

I was almost more excited to see the second-half team with a few unknown quantities from the Academy. They certainly looked bright.

The best of the bunch were Leo Duru, who played right-back and Georgie Gent. The former signed a new two-year contract with Rovers earlier this season after impressing in six months with the Under-21s.

The 19-year-old has bags of pace, like to be direct and looked very dangerous in the final third. He linked up well with Dilan Markanday, who naturally driven infield on his left foot, creating space to overlap.

They created two big chances, one for Jake Garrett after he shot wide in the box. Then for Jack Vale, who should have scored after Duru picked him out but he hit the crossbar.

On the opposite flank, Gent looked a livewire at left-wing. Gent spent last season on loan at Motherwell and is now targetting a place in the Rovers first team.

He got to the byline twice early on and put in two great deliveries. He was happy to run at his man and has pace to burn, something this Rovers squad severely lacks.

His end product was a little erratic as the half wore on but he's direct and exciting. Those two were, comfortably, the brightest sparks and the standout players.

Jack Vale also did himself no harm with his willingness to run in-behind. That created the second goal, where he squared it for Markanday to score.

There are places up for grabs with Rovers' squad thin. Rovers don't have a direct understudy for Callum Brittain, with Rankin-Costello in midfield, nor do they have left-back cover or something of Gent's profile.

Neither did themselves any harm.

Early captain indication

It's very early in pre-season to make sweeping conclusions or worry about the captaincy but there was a small hint on Saturday.

It was Dom Hyam rather than Lewis Travis who lined up with the armband in the first half of Rovers' game. The former obviously ended the season as skipper following Travis' move to Ipswich Town in January.

John Eustace said that no final decision had been made, speaking after the game, and he'd decide closer to the new season. But this was perhaps an indication of where his mind is.

Rovers need to bulk out the squad

Rovers obviously need some new additions and seeing their squad of 22 players laid out, minus a few injuries, made that blindingly obvious.

They need more numbers in attack and at centre-back, in particular. With Semir Telalovic edging closer to the exit door, they are desperate for another number nine. A senior alternative to Gallagher.

Regardless of what happens with Kyle McFadzean, they need another to cover Scott Wharton's injury.

If the 37-year-old doesn't return, then it's two players they need to give Eustace the flexibility of playing a back four or five-man defence.