TONY Mowbray believes Rovers’ game-changers off the bench can prove vital to their promotion push.

The Ewood boss has used his substitutions to good effect this season, with Jack Payne the latest to impress in Monday’s win over Bury having missed out on a starting spot.

That could earn the Huddersfield loanee a place in the team at Walsall this afternoon, but even with four first-team players absent, Mowbray has a plethora of options to choose from.

He has switched systems in each of Rovers’ last three games and said of his options: “As you saw in the last match there are changes that can be made that can affect the flow of the game.

“We had to disrupt the balance of Bury who made it really frustrating for us, they were stopping our two number 10s getting on the ball, they worked hard and denied us space but we had some options to be able to change it from the bench.

“I think that’s the important thing, that when you turn round and you need to change the flow of a game you have got some players there who can do that and that’s a real positive for us in this division.”

Looking ahead to Walsall., Mowbray added: “We’ll go and finalise our thoughts on the opposition, the starting line-up, why and what game-plan we sell to the team, how we’re going to function, where we’re going to attack, the threats the opposition can bring and get on with the job.

“I’ll tell the lads why it’s this selection and they go and make it happen hopefully.”

Rovers head to the Banks’ Stadium tomorrow almost four weeks since their meeting at Ewood on January 30.

A Danny Graham double and a Bradley Dack strike saw Rovers to a 3-1 victory and they will be aiming for a double over the Saddlers who sit 16th in the table, five points clear of the bottom four.

“My conversation with their manager (Jon Whitney) after the game was interesting, he felt as though he fell into a few traps playing against us,” Mowbray said. “I think they will adapt their tactics against us.

“It’s interesting when you play a team in a quite short period after the first one and of course it’s away as opposed to being at home but it shouldn’t affect too much of how we play.

“We’ll have to go there and be really positive, we need the points, as they will be fighting for them.

“They had a good 4-2 win over Doncaster at home so they will be feeling good about themselves.

“As I keep saying to the players it doesn’t matter about the name on the shirt or the colour of the jersey or the name on the back of it we have to go and impose ourselves on every game and that’s what we will try and do.”