Thank goodness we’re back! After feeling like Rovers needed the last international break, the circus surrounding England on and off the pitch over the last fortnight has made me very much welcoming the trip back to Ewood tomorrow.

It starts an intriguing spell for Rovers where we get a really good gauge of where the squad and our predictions lie. Two midweek games pack six matches into the next three weeks. A true showcase of the unrelenting trademark of the Championship where squad depth, injuries and suspensions are put to the test. 

On the latter point, if all of Lewis Travis, Hayden Carter and Tyrhys Dolan make it across the tightrope and out of Cardiff by the next international break, I will be very surprised! I’m expecting the need for cover with at least one of those over the next six games. Everyone’s money on Trav?!

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In terms of our opponents in the next six, they represent a fairly tricky set of fixtures. West Brom and Sheffield United at home, plus Watford and Cardiff away all provide stern opposition for different reasons. The Baggies have started the season flying, Sheffield United are emerging as the promotion favourite, Watford can match anyone on their day, and then file Cardiff in the category of Coventry and Plymouth – just a ground we seem to struggle at!

It’s imperative, therefore, that we look after business in the other two games at home to take the pressure off those four – starting tomorrow with Swansea. Keeping your home tally ticking over relieves the pressure beneath you in the table and can set up a play-off push for later in the season – we’ve given far too much away to the opposition at Ewood in previous seasons. 

I didn’t realise the extent of that until I read Elliott’s article this week. Six home wins from twenty-three games last season was simply not good enough – as surviving on the final day proved. Thankfully, we’ve rectified that well this season with the four wins from the opening four league games at home. Five from five would be simply fantastic.

Eustace has been speaking about getting the squad patched up and ready to go this week. I’m sure that the last fortnight has done wonders for the likes of Todd Cantwell, Amario Cozier-Duberry and Callum Brittain who would all be welcome starters for me and will be important creative forces at full fitness. 

On a basic level, I thought we went into the last international break looking leggy so if all the players have been able to build up a bit more fitness and perhaps overcome some niggly injuries, hopefully that will allow us to start on the front foot against the Swans. Fitness will especially play a part in the midweek match against West Brom. Expect them to press us and intimidate us with that trademark front foot, physical approach that Carlos Corberan has in full swing at the Hawthorns.

If we can amass a minimum of ten points (3 wins and a draw) from the next six games, I think that would represent a very decent return and maintain the solid start to the season. With four home games in the next six, I certainly feel like that should be the realistic and respectable aim. Sneaking an away win in that tally would also do wonders. 

After valiant displays at Norwich and Burnley, we’ve looked a little bit undercooked in the last three away matches at Preston, Coventry and Plymouth. Although we’ve had brilliant moments with the goals from Andi Weimann at Turf Moor, Yuki Ohashi at Carrow Road and Joe Rankin-Costello at Home Park, it would be nice to see something closer to those more complete performances that we’ve seen at home. But all in good time, I’m sure. Addressing the home form was an absolute must and Eustace deserves every credit there.

I’ll finish the column this week by congratulating our own Adam Wharton. We already knew he was a golden boy, but what a year it’s been for the Whilpshire Pirlo. 

To see his nomination for the Golden Boy Award amongst the likes of Lamine Yamal and Arda Guler is a glowing testament to his talent and another feather for our brilliant academy. I’m sure the Wharton family are extremely proud and it adds to the wonderful year for Adam. 

It’s a shame we’ve not seen more of him in that England shirt, but maybe Mr Tuchel will see sense and show the country what we’ve been missing!