Sunderland visit Ewood Park on Tuesday night to face a Rovers side who will have ambitions of pushing on for promotion after just missing out on the top six places last season.
The Black Cats have made an impressive start back in the championship, sitting in ninth place after 14 matches.
Tony Mowbray will return to his former employers, where he spent five years in charge before leaving in the summer after his contract expired and signing
Mowbray said: “Blackburn are in the top six and they are more than capable of having a good season.
“Ben Brereton is really important to them, he scores the majority of their goals and last season he had scored 21 before Christmas, before getting an injury in February