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July 2nd:
Players return for pre-season training

July 3rd:
Televised matches for the Barclays Premier League announced.

July 10th:
Pre-season friendly match v Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground, kick-off 7.30pm.

July 15th:
Pre-season friendly match in Heimstetten, Germany v DSC Arminia Bielefeld. Kick-off 7.00pm local time.

July 21st or 22nd:
Intertoto 3rd round first leg match, away. Will be against either Llanelli AFC, FK Vetra or Legia Warsaw.

July 28th or 29th:
Intertoto 3rd round second leg match, home at Ewood Park.

August 1st:
Pre-season friendly against Huddersfield Town at the Galpharm Stadium. Kick-off 7.45pm.

August 4th:
Rovers' final pre-season friendly against Preston North End at Deepdale, kick-off 3.00pm.

Riverside start for Rovers

MARK Hughes' takes his Blackburn Rovers squad on the road for their opening game of the 2007/08 Barclays Premier League campaign.

Middlesbrough are the opposition in the first game of the new season on Saturday August 11th, but after doing the double over the Teesside club for the last two years it is a fixture that will hold no trepidation for Rovers.

Rovers' first home game is the following Wednesday night against Aston Villa, but that game may have to be moved as Rovers will be hoping to be involved at the UEFA Cup second qualification stage that week. Arsenal are the first weekend visitors to Ewood Park on Saturday 18th August.

Rovers are away on Boxing Day, but the fans only have to travel to Eastlands to take on Manchester City. New Years Day sees Roy Keane's Sunderland make the journey across the Pennines to Ewood Park.

Champions Manchester United arrive at Ewood on April 19th, whilst Rovers face a trip to St Andrews on the final day of the season against Birmingham City.