TONY Mowbray says every game between now and the end of the season will be ‘a massive event’ as Rovers look to earn promotion from League One.

And the boss admits they start with no bigger game than the visit of Shrewsbury Town to Ewood Park on Saturday.

Rovers will be looking to cut the gap to the second-placed Shrews in this weekend’s meeting, with Mowbray ensuring there is a focus among his squad for the remaining fixtures.

“The preparation will be key,” Mowbray explained.

“We know what we have left this season and every game is a massive event for us and no bigger than the team directly above us in the league.

“We have to try and pick the right team and get results.”

Having now exited the FA Cup, Rovers have just one midweek league fixture this month, the home game with Walsall on January 30.

The defeat to Hull City in the cup saw Rovers’ unbeaten run come to an end, but they haven’t lost in the league in 14 matches.

Rovers did however, drop six points over the Christmas and New Year period, though Mowbray is focussing on the positives.

He added: “We’ve come through, we’ve remained unbeaten and I think it’s a fantastic effort from the team to come through this period of games, we’ve drawn more than we would have liked to of course, but without making excuses we’ve come through this tough period with a bug running through the football club which hasn’t only affected the ones that didn’t play but also the ones who did play.

“We came through unbeaten, so a fantastic effort from the team, everyone that has been involved.

“We come in to a period now where there’s no midweek games and we have to focus, prepare properly for every game, study the opposition and see if we can win some football matches and I’m pretty sure we will do.”

The Hull defeat was Rovers’ fifth game in 14 days, and Mowbray said: “I look at our physical statistics and they had been on a huge upward curve and it has dropped over this period.

“I can point to the illness bug that has been going around the club but footballers are human beings.

“To play two games literally in three days, Saturday and Monday, it’s really tough to maintain the levels that you want, whatever level, it’s hard to keep pushing the body to the levels you want.

“You pick up injuries, people over-stretch, you get muscle injuries and that is why you have a squad.

“I deal with the human beings every day and realise that when you’re in a dressing room before kick-off you’re not talking about being tired and fatigue we’re talking about winning, competition and putting in a performance.

“The players are up for that challenge, yet their bodies can break down and you have to be mindful of the human being – the mind wants to do it but sometimes the body doesn’t allow them to do it.”