Tony Mowbray believes Tosin Adarabioyo needs to acclimatise to the intensity levels at Rovers after missing the weekend win at Reading.

The Manchester City loanee has endured a frustrating start to life at Ewood Park, missing five games through injury and making just two starts.

They came five weeks apart, with the 21-year-old unavailable following his debut at Fulham on August 10 until the victory over Millwall on September 14 when he was replaced midway through the second half.

The central defender trained in the lead up to the Reading trip, and travelled with the squad who made the journey to Berkshire on Friday afternoon, but an injury suffering that morning saw him miss out on the matchday 18.

Darragh Lenihan and Derrick Williams continued their encouraging partnership in his absence, and while Mowbray believes Adarabioyo will become a big player for the club during the course of his season-long loan, says there is a level of adapting to do.

“He wasn’t ill, he picked up an injury in training,” Mowbray said, with Joe Rothwell among several Rovers players to have been unwell prior to the match.

“We are learning about his body and how it reacts to different situations.

“I think when you’re at Man City you might not have a manager like me telling me to push up, make tackles, put his body on the line, the intensity levels he’s been used to are different.

“His body is finding that adjustment difficult but he will acclimatise at some stage and the talent he has will be a big asset to our club.”

Adarabioyo played 36 times during a season-long loan spell at West Bromwich Albion last season which was his first taste of regular senior football, having made just eight appearances for his parent club prior to that.