FRONT TWO THREAT

NOT since April 2012 have Rovers suffered five successive league defeats, and by hook or by crook, they need to find a way of becoming hard to beat.

Britt Assombalonga’s first-half header was the 50th goal conceded by Rovers this season, 33 of which have come away from home with still seven games to play. That tally is only two fewer than in the whole of the 2016/17 Championship season in which they were relegated.

Boro went with a front two, just as Birmingham City will do this weekend, mixing the physicality of Lukas Jutkiewicz with the pace of Che Adams. It seems all but certain that it will be Jack Rodwell and Charlie Mulgrew in the centre of Rovers’ defence trying to stop the 29-goal pairing, with Darragh Lenihan injured and Derrick Williams suspended.

Rodwell and Mulgrew have played 409 minutes as defensive partners this season, conceding 10 goals, a record that will be tested again this weekend.

MOWBRAY’S TEAM

BASED upon appearances, the most used Rovers team this season would Raya, Bennett, Lenihan, Mulgrew, Bell, Smallwood, Evans, Reed, Dack, Armstrong, Graham. All but Harrison Reed, on loan from Southampton, were at the club last season, with Adam Armstrong’s loan deal made permanent in the summer.

Twelve months ago Rovers travelled to Walsall with a team of Raya, Nyambe, Lenihan, Mulgrew, Williams, Evans, Smallwood, Payne, Bennett, Armstrong, Graham.

So much has changed in that 12 months, but very little in terms of the team selection, with only Jack Payne no longer at the club, as he deputised for Bradley Dack who missed out through illness on that day.

Mowbray clearly knows so much about these players, so could view the final 13 games as a chance to experiment, but with so few options because of injury and suspension, it looks unlikely.

LEFT BACK CHANGE

FOR the fourth consecutive match, Rovers will have a new starting left back. Amari’i Bell will come into the side against his former side, looking to build on his goal at Reading and impressive second half against Boro.

The position has been one area fans would like to see strengthened, with neither Bell or Williams yet to totally seize the initiative in the opening 33 games, something the 24-year-old will be aiming to change.

Williams’s second suspension of the season, as well as a run of niggling injuries and having to deputise in central at defence at times, means he hasn’t regained a grip on the position he had to himself for nearly two whole seasons.