TONY Mowbray plans to reward the ‘scintillating football’ that Rovers’ Under-23s have been playing by handing opportunities to a number of that squad in tonight’s Checkatrade Trophy tie at Rochdale.

The Rovers boss has spoken in glowing terms about Damien Johnson’s side who have lost just once this season and thrashed Watford 6-1 in the Premier League Cup on Friday night.

Several of Johnson’s squad have already made their senior bows, mainly in this competition, while Joe Nuttall has made the step up to first-team level seamlessly, scoring on his league and FA Cup debuts in the last week.

Lewis Travis, Matty Platt, Scott Wharton and Joe Rankin-Costello, as well as Nuttall, will be eyeing involvement as Rovers head to Spotland for their final group game.

“I love watching our Under-23s, I think they’re a great football team with great camaraderie among themselves and I have no questions over their desire and heart,” Mowbray said.

“If they keep doing that then I do like to blood young players but we have to win football matches and to ask them to do that is difficult.

“But to drop one in every now and then it’s good and if they can grab their chance like Nuttall has then they will stay there.

“Let’s wait and see, I do feel that sometimes it’s a man’s game and needs a man to do the job and it can be difficult to ask an 18 or 19-year-old to get the job done but there’s a lot of quality at this club bubbling underneath.

“Many more performances like the first-half (against Barnet) and they will pushing themselves of the front of mind and not be far off getting an opportunity.”

The rules of the competition have been relaxed this season which means Rovers only need to field a minimum of four players who have made at least 40 senior appearances.

That means the likes of Jayson Leutwiler, Ben Gladwin, Peter Whittingham, Elliott Bennet and Dominic Samuel, who is back after serving a three match ban, could all feature.

They are likely to be supplemented by a number of the Under-23s squad, with Rovers knowing a win will guarantee a place in the knockout stages, which will be regionalised.

Rovers will however be without internationals Charlie Mulgrew and Corry Evans, Paul Downing who is ineligible after playing for MK Dons earlier in the competition and injured trio Craig Conway, Harry Chapman and Darragh Lenihan.

Mowbray added: “I would like to play a lot of the Under-23s who have shown some scintillating football when I have been and watched them.

“Can they reproduce it against men and the pressure of playing against experienced pros?

“I won’t throw them all in, you can’t with the competition rules, but we would like to dip some in.

“We want to go to Rochdale and win but I will sit down with my staff and pick a team that we feel can be competitive and get a result.”

Rovers sit second in the Group C table having beaten Stoke City Under-21s but lost to Bury.

Rochdale are top on four points but the complexities of the competition mean all four teams can still qualify. Drawn games are followed by penalty shoot-outs with the winners of that taking two points and the loser one.

A win for Rovers would see them progress while a draw but defeat on penalties would see Rovers eliminated should either Bury or Stoke win in 90 minutes, or Bury win on penalties.

A draw but win on penalties would see Rovers through unless Bury beat Stoke in normal time. The Shakers clash with the Potters is tomorrow (7.45pm).