Amari’i Bell and Derrick Williams are ‘touch and go’ to make Rovers’ return to Championship action on Saturday – but there is better news where Lewis Holtby and Corry Evans are concerned.

Bell and Williams didn’t feature in last Thursday’s practice game at Liverpool, where Joe Rankin-Costello filled in at left back, or in Monday’s game between two Rovers XI’s at Ewood.

Charlie Mulgrew was switched to left back in that match, and could well be in the mix for a first start since the opening day, after spending half the season on loan at Wigan, with Stewart Downing another option on the left side of defence.

Mowbray will however be able to call upon the services of midfield duo Corry Evans and Lewis Holtby who haven’t played since January and February respectively.

Evans has recovered from the extensive facial injuries suffered in the draw with Preston, with Holtby having overcome a knee problem sustained at Middlesbrough.

Both will add depth to Mowbray’s midfield options for the return against Bristol City, but his main headache will come at left back.

“They’re touch and go – if I was a betting man I’d say probably not, but I’m not a betting man, so I wouldn’t put too much stock in to that,” he told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“Let’s wait and see.

“I don’t really want to sit here and give my team away.

“We're fully aware of Bristol City's strengths out wide, their crossing stats are very high.

“We'll have a left back on the pitch who will be doing a very good job I'm sure.

“We did a round of testing coming in to work so the results will come back tomorrow, so whatever best laid plans you have today could go out of the window tomorrow.”

The Rovers players were tested on Thursday morning, with the results due back on Friday ahead of Saturday’s game.

Any positive tests among the playing squad would impact on Mowbray’s selection, with the manager already having selected his team.

He added: “We’ve been tested today, the team is picked, we’re moving on, but who’s to say that one or two of those players can’t play because they’ve had a positive test.

“Then you’d have to change your team, change your tactics, move things around, that’s the world we’re living in but we have to get on with it.

“Generally footballers and football managers like to know plans and preparations, be organised and ready, know that we’ve done the work, this is what we’re going to do, how we’re going to combat them, that’s generally how we operate but at the moment it’s a bit different.”

Rovers will be back in action for the first time since their defeat to Derby County on March 8 and do so sitting three points off the players.

Mowbray admits it has been a balance between on and off-field discussions, with plenty of legislation and protocols to work to.

“From the middle of March it’s been non-stop to be honest,” he explained.

“We had to set up a Covid-19 task force, but really Steve Waggott, Ian Silvester, Mike Cheston, Lindsey Talbot, every day they’ve had dozens and dozens of pieces of paper with legislation on and protocols.

“It feels like we’ve been on a million Zoom calls, it’s felt really hectic, but that’s the same for everybody and it continues as it gets closer.

“I’ve just been in a meeting surrounded by sheets and sheets of paper about matchday protocol, what you have to do, how many balls we have, who goes out first, who’s getting changed where, no handshakes, coming off the pitch after the game you can’t just come off together.

“There’s a million things and that’s what it’s been like for the last couple of months.

“But now the games are here and I’m trying to release away from the legislation and all the logistics of it and try and focus on the football team playing a game."

  • BACK in the fold and ready to be involved was Tony Mowbray’s assessment of midfield duo Corry Evans and Lewis Holtby ahead of the re-start.

Both would have missed the remainder of the 2019/20 season had it not been extended, but the pair have made significant progress to overcome facial, and knee, injuries respectively and put themselves in contention.

Mowbray says there will be no need to ease the pair back in to action, despite their long absences, with the break having worked in their favour to allow them to resume training with the group last month.

He said: “They’re back in. Corry was back heading balls and playing from day one when we came back.

“Lewis was actually infront of everyone because he’d been back in Germany and doing contact training 10 days before everyone else with his local club.

“We’re not looking after Lewis at all, he’s just getting on with it.”