Rovers made a strong start to September, a month which Tony Mowbray feels his side must target if they are to have top six aspirations this season.

Goals from Derrick Williams and Bradley Dack handed Rovers a third victory in seven games and moved them in to the top half of the Championship for the first time this season.

On Saturday Rovers travel to a Reading side who have lost each of their last two matches before ending the month with a home game with Luton.

Mowbray has made no secret of his desire for Rovers to challenge the top six this term and significantly improve on last season’s 15th-placed finish.

This weekend’s opponents Reading staved off relegation last season, but did beat Rovers in the reverse fixture at the Madejski Stadium in February.

The Royals have seven points from seven matches and have been an unpredictable force under boss Jose Gomes, beaten 1-0 at Middlesbrough last weekend.

Rovers switched to a three-man defence against Millwall and will need to consider whether to stick with that against Reading who have operated with a similar system of late.

Rovers lost three of their opening six games but have targeted a strong run in upcoming games, and Mowbray said: “If we are to be a team that can threaten the top half of this league, and with all due respect to Millwall as they had lost one game in six before this and been to some tough places, if we are to have aspirations then I felt that was a game where we could stamp our authority on it.

“Our next home game, with total respect to Luton, is one that we should look at and target and try and win.

“We talked about that ahead of the Millwall game.

“Reading away, you don’t know what you’re going to get from Reading at the moment.

“I have watched their games and they can be a terrific team with the ball but they can vulnerable as well.

“We’ll need to pick the right team and see if we can go and pick up the points there.”

Meanwhile, Reading will hope to have striker Yakou Meite available for the visit of Rovers.

The 23-year-old, who has three goals this season, completed the 90 minutes in the weekend defeat at Middlesbrough but was taken to hospital in Teesside to check for concussion after a collision in the second half.

“Our striker was taken to hospital on Saturday night for some precautionary checks,” a club statement read.

“Thankfully, all being well, he’ll be back able to train towards the latter part of the week and available for Saturday.”

  • Rovers are closing on a move for free agent midfielder Lewis Holtby.

The club have resurrected their interest in the 29-year-old who had looked set for a move to Besiktas earlier this summer after leaving Hamburg.

And they are now in pole position to announce a deal for Holtby who will join on a free transfer.

Holtby, capped three times by Germany, has previously played in England for Tottenham and Fulham before moving to Hamburg where he has spent the last five seasons.

He left the Bundesliga II side in May so will be able to join Rovers outside of the transfer window.