DOMINIC Samuel could be given his first run out in a Rovers shirt at Grimsby Town tonight (7.30pm), but Tony Mowbray won’t take any chances with the new striker.

Samuel signed for Rovers last Wednesday, but didn’t feature in Friday’s win at Morecambe having not trained for more than a week.

The 23-year-old was left out of the Reading squad which spent time in Holland earlier this month as he finalised his move away from the Madejski Stadium.

But with the deal taking over a week to complete, Samuel’s fitness will be managed by Rovers, and could be limited to a second half run-out at Blundell Park.

Ryan Nyambe, Craig Conway and Scott Wharton all missed the Morecambe win through injury but the trio could return tonight.

Mowbray said: “I hope on Tuesday that Dominic will be getting a run out, not for very long, we have to manage the situation with him. He’s not done a lot this pre-season.

“Hopefully Ryan will be closer to play and Craig needs a game as well, and he won’t be far away.

“There is no point taking any risks, Corry picked up a little knock on his ankle, but we have others in that area.”

Mowbray spent around £500,000 to bring Samuel to Ewood Park, re-uniting himself with the striker who he worked with at Coventry City in 2014/15.

Samuel has experience of playing in the Championship, and in League One, but at 23, Mowbray is hoping the frontman can put down some roots at Ewood Park and develop into a complete striker.

Mowbray added: “He’s had a few loan deals. He finished the season last year at Ipswich Town. He’d obviously been to Coventry, he’d been to Gillingham, so he played with Bradley (Dack) and they combined very well.

“I don’t think that we’re buying the finished article. I think we’re buying a young guy with raw attributes that we’re going to try and polish into a more finished product.

“I say that not to put pressure on him that he has to come and bang in 20 goals this season, I say that because I think he has the ability to do that, and yet there’s lots of improvement in him and we’ve got to try and get the best out of him.”