Rovers are sweating on the fitness of ‘four or five’ senior players ahead of Wednesday night’s game with Brentford.

Ryan Nyambe has handed boss Tony Mowbray a boost however, with the defender set to come back in to the starting XI after missing the weekend win over Barnsley through illness picked up when travelling back from his international commitments with Namibia.

Joe Rothwell came off with a tight calf in the win over Barnsley, having made a first home start of the season, though Mowbray was keeping the other players' identities under wraps.

They will be monitored during training before a decision is taken on their possible involvement against the Bees at Ewood Park.

“We have got four or five at the moment who are touch and go,” Mowbray said.

“Ryan has a chance. He trained (on Monday). As I said last week, he’s been ill, under the weather. He said on Friday he was struggling after sitting on aeroplanes.

“It wasn’t ideal but he’s trained and there’s a chance he will be back in.

“There are a few that are getting tested, we’ll monitor them through training and see if they’re available.

“They are all wanting to play, but the physio department have flagged up red lights with a few.”

Explaining the injuries, Mowbray added: “Muscle tightness (from the weekend).

“The physical stats last week were the highest of the season, with the international break and wanting to do some work with the team.

“The physical stats were high from Saturday and there are a few players that are feeling it. Hopefully a few will be okay.”

Rothwell had made three starts prior to the weekend, all away from home, but was thrust in from the start against the Championship’s bottom side.

The 24-year-old was replaced in the closing stages, and Mowbray said: “His calf was ready to go. He was making me aware of that.

“As the game was going up and down, and we were needing to do a bit of defending, he struggled to get back and it was an easy decision to take him off because he was toiling a bit covering the distance.

“But he was also in danger of tearing a calf muscle that would have potentially ruled him out for six to eight weeks.”

Rovers are short of options at the back, with Greg Cunningham (knee) out for the season, while Derrick Williams is unavailable because of a calf problem picked up during his time away with the Republic of Ireland.

Joe Grayson (hamstring) is out for the season, though Tyler Magloire will return to light training today. The central defender has been back at Brockhall for the last two months after picking up an injury during a loan spell with League One side Rochdale.

“That’s where we are, but hopefully that will resolve itself over the next week or so,” Mowbray said of his defensive options.

“Derrick Williams was out on the training pitch jogging with the physios which is telling me that he’s not that far away.

“Hopefully on Thursday he’ll be sprinting and if he comes through that then he might be ready (for Stoke City).

“It is what it is. Magloire will be back doing a warm-up after eight or 10 weeks out, Grayson is still walking around the building with a brace around his knee.

“So the young players who were around the squad and helping us out later in the season are unavailable as well.

“We have to put a few in cotton wool and see how Wednesday goes and the likes of Williams are available in the not too distant future.

“The next game is the most important.

“I think sometimes if you have decisions or dilemmas then you can err on the side of caution.

“The difficulty is that one is a pretty important player for us. Do we stick him on the bench because he’s got a slight hamstring injury? But then if you put him on the bench and you need to put him on, he can pull his hamstring and you leave yourself in a scenario where, if he’s the final sub, you could end with 10 men.

“We’ll see. I have to talk to them all individually and they have to be honest and say where they are.”