The Lancashire Premiership visitors are making their second visit to Matlock, this time providing the opposition for Lukic's testimonial game, his last appearance in a Matlock Town shirt before joining up with his new team mates at Blue Square North Gainsborough Trinity.

Blackburn were last at Matlock in an FA Cup first round tie back in November 1974 as leaders of the old Third Division, and despite a battling performance from an emerging home side which went on to lift the FA Trophy at Wembley at the end of that season, Rovers went through to the next round by a 4-1 margin in front of the second highest crowd to watch a game at Causeway Lane, 5,119.

Lukic, still only 26, deserves a grand send off having made 432 appearances for the Gladiators since making his debut as a 16-year-old substitute in a Derbyshire Senior Cup game with Glossop North End back in February, 1999.

With Rovers also on tour in Spain and Portugal they are unlikely to send a full strength squad, but they should still present formidable opposition.

Lukic will definitely play for Matlock on Wednesday but Warne's return comes a little earlier as Matlock play their first pre-season friendly at Staveley MW on Saturday.

Warne's stay at Alfreton Town proved only to be a brief one. He left the Gladiators to join the Reds last October but as joint manager Gareth Williams put it 'his heart is at Matlock' meaning that the 24-year-old jumped at the chance of a return to Causeway Lane, with Matlock paying a nominal fee for his services.

He became Brown and Williams' fifth summer signing, linking up with defenders Ashley Foyle and Lee Featherstone, midfielder Liam King and striker Ross Hannah.

Warne's arrival might not be the last for Brown indicated that if the right player became available within the finances available, the Gladiators would be looking to add him to their squad.

Matlock will give a run out to most of their squad at Staveley with the exception of Paul Riley, Nathan Benger and Ross Hannah.

Benger gets married on Friday and is away on honeymoon while Hannah is on holiday and will also be missing against Blackburn but back in time to line up against Chesterfield in the Banner Jones Trophy next Friday.

Riley though is Matlock's first injury scare of the new campaign.