Ben Brereton faces up to eight weeks out after a knee operation, Tony Mowbray has revealed.

Brereton sustained the injury in training and has been unavailable for Rovers’ last five matches in all competitions.

The 20-year-old has played just 25 minutes of Championship football this season, and the Carabao Cup win over Oldham, but has now undergone surgery on his knee that will rule him out for up to two months.

The international break has allowed defender Tosin Adarabioyo to return to training, and the Manchester City loanee, who hasn’t played since the defeat at Fulham on August 10, could return to the squad for this weekend’s visit of Millwall.

Jacob Davenport, injured in a behind closed doors friendly with Macclesfield in July, is also back training and could feature for the Under-23s possibly as early as Monday’s game at Everton.

Dominic Samuel scored in the Lancashire Senior Cup win over Accrington Stanley in midweek, and after 12 months out with a knee ligament injury, has three goals in as many games for the Under-23s.

“A few have returned to training on a regular basis," Mowbray said. “Dominic Samuel has been back a few weeks and scored some goals for the Under-23s.

“Jacob Davenport is almost ready to play a game.

“Tosin is back on the grass.

“There is only Ben Brereton who, post operation is going to be out for six to eight weeks. That’s a blow to us, and to him of course.

“But there have been big numbers training and selection issues ahead of the weekend.”

Samuel scored from the spot against Stanley on Tuesday in what was his first 90 minutes for the Academy side. He netted twice in a win at Brighton eight days earlier and is set to continue building up his fitness with Billy Barr’s side.

“Watching him build up through the last two weeks on the grass with us, he needs the confidence to take a few heavy tackles, a few challenges,” Mowbray said of the 25-year-old who hasn’t played for the first-team since sustaining the injury against Reading in August 2018.

“He’s really eye-catching with his movement and his straight line running, he’s super fast, and it’s quite exciting. He’s been banging a few goals in against the first-team when we’ve been working on shape.

“But I do feel that he has to take a few knocks, play a few more games, putting in to context that he’s been out for a year.

“That’s a long time out and to throw him in after two or three weeks would be unfair on him.

“Let’s keep building his confidence and belief. He’s started well, scored twice at Brighton for the Under-23s the other week and he’ll be fine.

“But there is no urgency to throw him straight back in with Gallagher, Armstrong, Graham, Dack, can all play down the middle. But his time will come this season I’m sure.”

Samuel has been playing as a No.9 for the Under-23s, but has played more recently for the senior side out wide.

Mowbray added: “I think when I look at the forward line when they’re all fit it’s quite exciting.

“If you want to go with speed you could go with Samuel, Gallagher and Armstrong in a front three, then we have the power of Graham, the talent of Dack and Graham, and then Downing, Rothwell, there’s a lot of talent in there.

“We just have to find the right balance on any given day whether it’s speed and power, or technique, we just have to pick the right team.”