Crystal Palace Under-21s will be aiming to return to winning ways when they travel to face Blackburn Rovers on Friday afternoon (6th March, 12:00 GMT) in Premier League 2 at Blackburn Rovers Training Centre. Here’s everything you need to know.
The match will be streamed LIVE on Palace TV+ on Friday (6th March), with coverage beginning at 11:45 GMT ahead of a 12:00 GMT kick-off – click HERE to find out more and subscribe.
Supporters can follow live commentary on our Academy X (Twitter) page, with a full match report and reaction published shortly after full-time in our Academy news section.
Highlights and extended reaction will be available on Palace TV+.
Palace head into the contest looking to bounce back from consecutive defeats in Premier League 2.
The young Eagles suffered a narrow 1–0 loss to Sunderland A.F.C. on Monday evening at VBS Community Stadium, following on from a 3–0 defeat against West Ham United at Rush Green Training Ground.
Those results leave Palace 14th in the standings on 21 points, level with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton, and two points above the cut-off for the all-important play-off places (top 16).
The recent setbacks follow an encouraging spell for the young Eagles, including a statement victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach to secure a place in the Premier League International Cup quarter-finals, as well as a 2–1 triumph over Fulham which ended the Cottagers’ 13-game unbeaten run.
With five league fixtures remaining, a return to winning ways could prove crucial in the race for the play-offs.
Blackburn Rovers Under-21s enter Friday’s clash sitting 27th in Premier League 2, with 11 points from 14 matches – three fewer games than the division’s maximum.
With games in hand on several sides around them, the picture is not quite as bleak as it may first appear. Just six points separate Rovers from 20th-placed Nottingham Forest.
If there is one theme to Blackburn’s recent run, it is unpredictability – particularly when it comes to scorelines.
Earlier this week they were edged out 3–2 by West Bromwich Albion in another five-goal contest, only days after recording a 3–2 victory over Ipswich Town in the Premier League Cup.
The drama did not stop there. In the weeks prior, Rovers experienced back-to-back 5–0 scorelines – first suffering a heavy defeat to Chelsea before responding emphatically with a 5–0 win over Birmingham City.
League form has thus been harder to stabilise. Blackburn have lost six of their last seven Premier League 2 fixtures and have won only three times in the competition this season – though one of those victories was a notable triumph over Manchester City back in October.
As aforementioned, Rovers, more recently, overturned a two-goal deficit against Ipswich to reach the Premier League Cup quarter-finals, with a brace from Osman Kamara and a cheeky Panenka penalty from Aodhan Doherty in extra time sealing progression.
In short, Blackburn’s campaign has been defined by fluctuation: tight contests, high-scoring encounters at both ends, and the ability to deliver the occasional statement result. With games in hand and little to lose, they remain a dangerous proposition.
Blackburn Rovers starting XI: Holt, Pitt, Decandia, Kelley-Quinn, Pates, Dunn, Ball, Vare, McCoy, Tyjon, Joseph.
Grégory Vignal may hand Augustus Kargbo another opportunity to build his match minutes after the Sierra Leone international started against West Brom. George Pratt, Jake Garrett and Sidnei Tavares are likely to be unavailable.
Scott Wharton could return to the squad as he closes in on his first minutes since suffering an Achilles injury against Bristol City in November. However, Aynsley Pears will not feature, meaning Adam Khan is likely to retain his place between the posts.
Aodhan Doherty is expected to start again on the right flank, while Joe Boggan will hope to keep his place after scoring against West Brom at Damson Park.
Blackburn have recorded three wins, two draws and nine defeats in Premier League 2 this season, and have won just once in their last seven league outings.
Their 21 goals scored rank among the lowest totals in the division, while defensively they have struggled – conceding the joint-third most goals in the league alongside Birmingham City.
Despite their league difficulties, Blackburn have shown their cup pedigree and remain in the Premier League Cup quarter-finals.
Seventeen-year-old forward Igor Tyjon has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign for Blackburn’s Under-21s, scoring four goals during the 2025/26 season.
Tyjon appeared on the bench for the senior side during the early weeks of the campaign and played just over an hour in Rovers’ EFL Cup first-round defeat to Bradford City, though he has not been named in a first-team squad since August.
The striker also made two substitute appearances in the EFL Championship last season but has yet to feature in the league under head coach Valérien Ismaël during the current campaign.
His potential has not gone unnoticed, with Arsenal reportedly monitoring the highly rated youngster.
Grégory Vignal was appointed Blackburn Under-21s manager in November 2025.
The 44-year-old joined RFS earlier in 2025 as first-team development coach, tasked with overseeing the progression of young players and helping integrate them into the senior squad.
Despite pushing for honours, the Latvian side finished the season without silverware – falling in the Latvian Cup semi-finals and finishing second in the Virslīga as rivals Riga FC secured their first league title since 2020.
Vignal now returns to the United Kingdom, where he enjoyed the most successful period of his playing career. A graduate of Liverpool academy, he won the FA Cup, UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup with the Reds before lifting the Scottish Premier League title with Rangers.
He later returned to Rangers as a youth coach and assistant to Steven Gerrard prior to his move to Latvia.
The match will be streamed LIVE on Palace TV+ on Friday (6th March), with coverage beginning at 11:45 GMT ahead of a 12:00 GMT kick-off – click HERE to find out more and subscribe.
Supporters can follow live commentary on our Academy X (Twitter) page, with a full match report and reaction published shortly after full-time in our Academy news section.
Highlights and extended reaction will be available on Palace TV+.
Blackburn Rovers U21s v Crystal Palace U21s