Tony Mowbray says captain Charlie Mulgrew was ‘never close’ to being included in Rovers’ win over Bradford City.

Mulgrew had featured for Scotland just 48 hours prior to Rovers’ clash with the Bantams, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 win in Hungary.

And Mowbray admitted that when he learned of the 32-year-old starting for his country, his mind was made up on whether to involve him in Thursday night’s match.

Mowbray had spoken to Scotland boss Alex McLeish about Mulgrew’s situation, with Rovers in action again on Monday when the travel to MK Dons.

But when asked if the influential defender was ever in his thoughts for the match, Mowbray said:” Never close.

“When I got the text saying that he was starting the game in Hungary I’d had a conversation with the management at Scotland but to be fair they initially said they were going to be sympathetic to us with playing on a Thursday night.

“They had some injuries and some fall-outs and they felt he had to play the second game.

“They lost the first game which put a bit more pressure on them to get a result so it was a second 90 minutes in a short period of time and we have two games in a short period of time.

“He got back at 3.30am, had no sleep and he hadn’t done any training with us and it just wasn’t happening, he wasn’t going to play because he’d had no preparation.”

Mulgrew’s absence saw Derrick Williams move in to central defence alongside Darragh Lenihan who was forced off inside half an hour after falling awkwardly on his back.

Paul Downing was his replacement as a much changed Rovers back four held out for a 14th clean sheet of the season.

Rovers have won five and drawn two of the seven games in which Lenihan has featured in since returning from a fractured metatarsal which sidelined him for six month.

On his latest problem, Mowbray said: “He’s a big loss because since he’s come back in the team he has looked a man mountain.

“He’s looked so fast and powerful, confident.

“He’s taken a knee in the lower back but I think it’s just bruising and he will be fine, I hope.

“Let’s wait and see how it settles down.

“In a day or two hopefully it will be fine.”

Meanwhile, Danny Graham is expected to be fit for Monday’s match having missed this game with a back problem.