West Bromwich Albion kick their 2026/27 campaign off with a first-round Carabao Cup clash against Rotherham United on Saturday evening (ko 5.30pm).
James Morrison's men will be intent on producing a stellar showing ahead of the start of the Sky Bet Championship term the following weekend, with the Baggies set to face Norwich City at Carrow Road on matchday one.
Hosts Rotherham were relegated from Sky Bet League One at the end of the previous season. The Millers, who competed in the second tier as recently as 2023/24, will have their sights set on a cup upset in front of their own supporters before their fourth-tier term begins at Cheltenham Town a week later.
The two clubs last went head-to-head in this competition in 2009 when the Baggies secured a 4-3 triumph at The Hawthorns after extra time.
LIVE matchday coverage
Supporters can listen to live audio commentary of Albion's duel with Rotherham.
Audio passes are available to purchase here.
WBA Radio & WBA TV duo Gez Mulholland and Andy Johnson will provide live commentary from the AESSEAL New York Stadium, with coverage starting at 5.15pm
Owing to broadcast rights, video streaming on WBA TV won't be available for this particular fixture.
As always, supporters are kindly asked to direct any questions or complaints about WBA TV or WBA Radio to wbatvsupport@streamamg.com.
The club are unable to answer queries about WBA TV or WBA Radio sent to fans@wbafc.co.uk, myalbion@wbafc.co.uk or enquiries@wbafc.co.uk.
Regular updates will also be posted across the club's social media channels throughout the afternoon and evening.
The hosts
Rotherham United have endured a tough few years and find themselves competing in Sky Bet League Two as a result of two relegations in the past three seasons.
The Millers' main focus in 2026/27 will be to mount a serious promotion challenge and get back up into the third tier, though they'll be looking at Saturday's tie as a good opportunity to build confidence and momentum ahead of their opening league game at Cheltenham Town next weekend.
They've brought in several new faces over the summer, including former Wrexham star Paul Mullin, as well as Aaron Nemane, Fabio Tavares, Ossama Ashley, Jamie Jellis, Jili Buyabu and Tom Bradshaw.
Another new Rotherham recruit is the gaffer, and he's well-known to West Bromwich Albion. Alex Bruce, who served as a coach when his father Steve was in charge of the Baggies in 2022, was handed the head coach position on a two-year deal at the end of June.
The 41-year-old has previous managerial experience with Macclesfield and recently spent time with Salford City as a coach. He'll be determined to hit the ground running and kick his Millers reign off with an eye-catching triumph over a team two divisions higher.
They've won four successive round-one fixtures in the Carabao Cup and will be hoping to extend that run to five on Saturday.
Albion's last five results against the Millers
Albion 2-0 Rotherham United
April 2024, Sky Bet Championship
Rotherham United 0-2 Albion
December 2023, Sky Bet Championship
Rotherham United 3-1 Albion
April 2023, Sky Bet Championship
Albion 3-0 Rotherham United
December 2022, Sky Bet Championship
Albion 2-1 Rotherham United
April 2019, Sky Bet Championship
Classic clash
A Dwight Gayle hat-trick helped the Baggies to a resounding 4-0 triumph at Rotherham United in December 2018.
Harvey Barnes was also on the scoresheet on what was a terrific afternoon for Darren Moore's team. Check out the highlights below.
Did you know...?
Saturday's showdown will be the third meeting between the two teams in the League Cup. Albion have won the previous two, scoring exactly four goals in both 1978 and 2009.
The Millers have won their last four round-one ties in the Carabao Cup. The last time this weekend's opponents failed to make it beyond the first hurdle was in 2021 when they suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Accrington Stanley.
The Baggies have been knocked out at the first-round stage of the Carabao Cup in all of the last three seasons. They've never lost four round-one fixtures in a row in this competition.
Albion have won six of their last seven encounters against Rotherham United (including those that went to extra-time), losing the other.
Colours for our travels
Albion will wear their Macron home kit for the very first time on Saturday evening.
Ticket details
Albion have been given extra tickets for their trip to Rotherham United after selling out their initial allocation.
The Baggies visit the AESSEAL New York Stadium on Saturday, August 8 (ko 5.30pm) in the first round of this season’s Carabao Cup.
And while Baggies fans have snapped up the 2,576 seats the club were originally given, Rotherham have now confirmed they will open up two more blocks (SE1 and SE2) next to the away end.
Supporters can now only purchase a ticket in advance by calling Rotherham’s ticket office on 01709 827768.
Tickets will be sent out via email.
Should any remain on the day of the game, they will be available from the ticket office at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.
Please note, as previously advertised, seats will be subject to a slight increase from midday on matchday to £16 Adults, £12 Seniors (65+), £12 Under-22s, £12 Armed Forces, £5 Under-18s and £1 Under-14s.
Baggies Travel
A handful of coach seats remain available for £25, departing at the following times:
Kidderminster - 12.30pm
Stourbridge - 12.45pm
Lye - 12.45pm
The Hawthorns - 1.30pm
It can be purchased online, in person or by calling 0121 227 2227.
Additional Information
Under-14 ticket holders are required to enter the stadium and attend alongside someone over the age of 18.
Supporter coaches can park on site in the South Car Park. Coaches are chargeable at £20 per coach and must be pre-booked. To book a coach, please contact the Rotherham ticket office on 01709 827768.
Disabled supporters
Rotherham have five disabled parking spaces available for away supporters which need to be pre-booked by 5pm the day before the game and will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis, at a charge of £7. These can be booked by contacting the Red and White Shop on 01709 827768.
Any supporters who are visually impaired and require a commentary set will need to book one through the Disabled Liaison Officer on 01709 827768 or by emailing dlo@rotherhamunited.net.
There will be a £10 deposit which must be paid in cash upon collection. This will be returned once the commentary set is handed back at the end of the match.
