Tony Mowbray isn't one to get overly enthused on fixture release day - but he is excited by the challenge of the Championship.

Rovers were handed an opening day trip to one of Mowbray's former clubs, Ipswich Town, before starting with a home game against Millwall, one of three Ewood Park fixtures in August.

Ipswich will be under new management following the decision of Paul Hurst to leave Shrewsbury Town for the Tractor Boys after defeat in the play-off final.

Mowbray knows Hurst will be eager to get off to a positive start in his first match at Portman Road, but is well aware of what to expect from his side having battled against the Shrews for much of last season.

And while acknowledging the tests of next season, Mowbray is looking forward to the August kick-off.

“We’re away to Ipswich for the first game and it’s a team with a new manager who will have had an impact on his team and will be aiming to get off to a good start," he told the club website.

 “We saw from Paul’s Shrewsbury team how dynamic and energetic they were.

“They are all tough games in the Championship though.

“The fixtures look all right to me, but to be honest, as a manager, you have to play everyone twice so I never have a strong opinion on the fixtures.

“We have to play them all at some point so we’ll be getting ourselves prepared for each battle over the course of pre-season. We’re all excited by the challenge.”