Before the 2017/18 League One season kicked off, Blackburn Rovers were seen as huge favourites to secure immediate promotion back to The Championship following their relegation last season. However, it has been a remarkably poor start to the season for Rovers under the management of Tony Mowbray, and they are in desperate need of three points to get their season underway.
Blackburn Rovers began the campaign with a tricky away fixture at Southend United which they eventually lost 2-1 despite mounting a second-half comeback. However, it was the 3-1 defeat at home to Doncaster Rovers the week after that has really caused concern at Ewood Park that this season may not be as straightforward as many people thought.
As for Bradford City, they have been knocking on the door of The Championship for several years now and have made another strong start to this campaign. They have maintained a 100% record so far with wins over Blackpool and Gillingham and will fancy their chances of picking up another three points against Blackburn at Valley Parade on Saturday.
We take a look at five players who could potentially have a significant influence on the outcome of Saturday’s match between these two promotion candidates.
1. 
The 21-year-old is a relatively unknown quantity at this level with no previous experience in the Football League. His previous clubs include Beaconsfield SYCOB, Kidderminster Harriers and Barnsley. However, he did not make a single appearance at Oakwell which led to his move to Bradford on a one-year deal this summer.
Stuart McCall was clearly impressed with the youngster’s performances in pre-season and has subsequently given him an opportunity to impress in the first team. This appears to be an opportunity he has grasped with both hands as he scored the winning goal on his debut in the 2-1 win over Blackpool on the opening day of the season.
