Rovers held a board meeting yesterday where January transfer window plans were discussed, although manager Tony Mowbray is urging caution.

Director Gandhi Babu flew in to meet with chief executive Steve Waggott, with the transfer window among the topics of discussion.

Mowbray’s men are currently six games unbeaten and just one point outside of the top six ahead of two home games, starting with Wigan Athletic on Monday.

The manager opted against spending in January last year, with Rovers in a similar position, only to see the season unravel as they won one game in 11 before a strong end to the campaign.

Funds are again expected to be made available should Mowbray wish to strengthen, with a goalkeeper, central defender and left back among the positions under consideration, but outgoings are also expected. 

“We set a budget in the summer when we went to India. Tony went across a few weeks ago for the owners to meet Mark Venus and hear about the developments at the training ground,” Waggott told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“We’ve just got the global Financial Director, Gandhi Babu, across for a board meeting that happened on Tuesday.

“We will look at what we do in January. We have quite a big squad if you look at the numbers and players who aren’t getting minutes.

“If you take John Buckley, a great talent, but with how the team is performing, is travelling with the team but can’t get in. You watch the Under-23s against Leicester and he’s down in Bristol and there are a lot of players to look after.”

Rovers made seven summer signings, but one of them, Greg Cunningham is out for the season with a knee injury.

Cunningham was one of three loan signings, with goalkeeper Christian Walton brought in from Brighton and Tosin Adarabioyo acquired from Manchester City for the season.

Rovers will look to make longer-term plans in their defence, with the possibility of strengthening in January, though there are no concerns at this stage of either Walton or Adarabioyo being recalled by their parent clubs.

The likes of Dominic Samuel, Richie Smallwood and Harry Chapman, as well as several Academy prospects, could depart in January on loan, though Rovers will be reluctant to leave themselves short given any possible injury crisis.

“People will ask what are we doing in January? We might sign some players, but they might not get in the team because they don’t know how we play, what to do in certain situations,” Mowbray explained.

“They have to integrate in to the football and that’s been the case for a few players. We’re trying to teach the players when to play, when to be calm, when to be aggressive, when to sit off and let them have at the back and see if they can play through us, teach them football.

“It’s not something you can do in a couple of sessions. Then in time you buy some new players because you want to improve but then you have to introduce them to the systems and methods.”