Tony Mowbray acknowledges Rovers have “priority positions” where they must strengthen as the wait for a new recruit goes on.

The goalkeeping ranks have been decimated by the departure of Jayson Leutwiler and the expiry of Christian Walton’s loan, while a similar arrangement with Tosin Adarabioyo has left Rovers short of options in central defence.

Those will be the primary positions that Rovers will look to strengthen ahead of the 2020/21 season where finances will allow in the

current climate. A new left back, as well as a further attacking option, would also be welcomed by Mowbray who has seen seven players depart since their last competitive outing.

Stewart Downing is also yet to agree a fresh contract with the club, and is therefore a free agent, leaving Rovers in need of fresh faces as they look to build on last season’s 11th placed finish.

Mowbray said: “We’re trying to spin some plates at this moment in time.

“It’s not easy to strengthen in the current climate, but we know that we have positions, priority positions, where we have to strengthen.”

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Mowbray feels Rovers are at a rebuilding phase, having said goodbye to five players who were part of their League One promotion-winning campaign.

With the departures of Danny Graham (191), Richie Smallwood (87), Dominic Samuel (59), Jayson Leutwiler (13) and Sam Hart (7) at the end of their contracts, they have lost more than 350 Rovers appearances.

With the return of loan duo Christian Walton (46) and Tosin Adarabioyo (35) to Brighton and Manchester City respectively, and Stewart Downing (43) yet to agree a new contract after his one-year deal expired, that could be another 124 appearances made last season also having disappeared.

That has left a hole in terms of both experience and options within Mowbray’s squad, with the Under-23s stepping up to supplement first-team numbers after the return to pre-season training.

The hope will be the likes of Scott Wharton, John Buckley, Joe Rankin-Costello and Dan Butterworth can continue their progress alongside the already established figures Ryan Nyambe, Darragh Lenihan, Lewis Travis, Bradley Dack and Adam Armstrong to help push the club forward.

There will also be an expectation that Sam Gallagher and Ben Brereton will kick on after their big-money moves and score the goals that will be required to see Rovers push towards the top six.

Of those to depart, only Richie Smallwood, who has agreed a two-year deal with recently relegated Hull City, has signed for a new club since leaving Rovers.

Experienced frontman Graham has been linked with moves to Sunderland and Ipswich, but the League One salary cap, introduced earlier this month, is making that difficult, while Samuel’s proposed move to Championship new boys Rotherham United is now off.

Charlie Mulgrew and Elliott Bennett have taken less prominent roles in the side in recent times, and Mowbray admits that is part of the changing face of the club.

“We have to create space for the next generation, the next heroes of this football club,” he said.

“That’s where we are at the moment and it’s the same for a lot of clubs, with money scarce, it’ll be an interesting window for all clubs.”

Rovers have now gone without a signing since announcing Lewis Holtby as a free agent addition last September, and are one of seven Championship clubs yet to bring anyone in this summer.

The market has been slow for the most part however, with free transfers and loan deals the preference for most clubs so far.

The task for Rovers is to try and build on the 63 points they amassed last season in a bid to close the gap to the play-off spots, but do so without breaking the bank.

They will need strengthen the spine of their side following the departures of last season’s first choice goalkeeper and central defender, as well as the experience of Downing and Graham.

Mowbray isn’t panicking however, believing Rovers aren’t the only side waiting to make the right moves in the market.

Although the season could start as early as August 29, should their Carabao Cup tie with Doncaster Rovers be brought forward, the transfer window will remain open until October 16.

“The conversations I think are around the lack of deals from a lot of clubs,” Mowbray told the club website of the current financial climate.

“It’s a very short pre-season, there’s not a lot of time to try and replace in what was and is a transitional period for the club, the end of an era of some senior players who had been on a journey in League One and out of League One with us.

“We’d solidified the team in the division and fell a little bit short last season in our ambitions to make the play-offs, but we now have to really try to progress and move the club forward.”