ROVERS boss Tony Mowbray says he is conscious of Richie Smallwood’s possible suspension but insists it won’t hinder his team selection.

Smallwood is one yellow card away from his 10th of the season which would trigger a two-match ban.

He has gone nine games without collecting a booking and has been an ever present in League One for Rovers this season.

The 27-year-old needs to get through four more games before the number of bookings required for a suspension rises to 15. Any player reaching that tally would be handed a three game ban while should Smallwood be booked against Walsall tomorrow or Wimbledon on Tuesday he would miss next weekend’s top of the table clash with Wigan.

But Mowbray is relaxed over the situation.

He said: “I have taken him off at times where I’ve wanted to change the flow of a game.

“I could feel a frustration rise in him if things aren’t going the way we want them to and I’m conscious of Richie’s situation.

“But we have to win the games so we can’t plan and prepare and leave Richie out for a game three games down the line, we need to keep going.

“A booking will come, I’m pretty sure of that with the way he plays but that’s all right.

“If we have to play without Smallwood for a game or two it’s okay, we’ve done it before with other players and I’m sure we’ll get by.”

Rovers are light in the middle of the park with Peter Whittingham (calf) out injured and Rekeem Harper having been recalled by West Brom.

Smallwood has already served one suspension, missing the FA Cup win over Barnet in November, but is yet to collect a yellow card in his nine outings in 2018 and Mowbray isn’t concerned by the number of cards collected by his midfield man.

The Ewood boss added: “I think Richie Smallwood is the type of footballer he is and we have to embrace that.

“He trains like he plays and as I’ve said in the past, light-heartedly, he catches a few of his team-mates in training every now and then and there’s no malice in it.

“He tries to win in the five-a-sides, win at everything he does and he’s very competitive young guy. I can’t remember a booking (he has got) where I’ve thought ‘what are you doing?’

“I think he always plays with his heart on his sleeve, tries to win the ball.

“That’s okay, it’s football and part and parcel of the game.”