Joe Rothwell hopes his improved levels of fitness will help him keep his place in the starting line up as Rovers come up against an athletic Leeds United side tomorrow.

The midfielder, who started his third league game of the season against Bolton, knows Rovers will look to match the Yorkshire outfit with their intensity.

And the 23-year-old revealed these are the type of games you want to play in when you get promoted to the Championship.

Third-placed Leeds could go top should they win the 12noon clash at Ewood Park - and Rothwell knows just what to expect.

“Leeds have started really well, they’re a team that loves to press,” he said. “They’ve got the highest stats for running so we’re going to have a real game on our hands.

“It’s a game you look forward to when you get promoted to the Championship, these are the games you want to play in.

“It’s how we try to play as well.

“We’ve put teams on the back foot with our intensity and pressing.

“When we get on the ball, it’s doing the right thing. Hopefully on Saturday we can do that.”

Rovers currently sit 10th in the table and are just one point off a play-off place. And with four wins and just two defeats from their opening 12 matches, Rothwell says the team can’t complain about how the season has gone so far.

“There’s probably two games you can look at where we could’ve had maximum points and I think, other than that, it’s been quite fair,” Rothwell added.

“With them extra four points, it puts us fourth or fifth.

“I don’t think we can complain coming up from League One last year, everyone’s happy with it.”

The former Manchester United player has featured in nine of Rovers’ 12 games this season.

Last month Mowbray praised Rothwell’s fitness levels as tests showed his physical stats were second best within the Rovers squad.

The club’s first summer signing joined in time to take part in the pre-season training camp in Austria, describing it as the toughest he’s ever been involved in.

“Coming in it was a bit of a shock to the system of how we wanted to play,” said Rothwell, who joined on a three-year deal from Oxford United.

“It took me a month to get used to it. I feel now that I’m fully up to speed with what the gaffer wants me to do.”