Rovers want to play the 2019/20 FA Youth Cup to a conclusion – and are hopeful of positive news shortly.

Mike Sheron’s side thrashed Arsenal 4-1 in the quarter-finals of the competition days before the Academy programme was suspended, and later curtailed.

However, the Football Association, and the four clubs left in the competition, have had dialogue over how to play the two semi-final ties, and final, and conclude last season’s tournament.

Rovers were due to play Manchester City at Ewood in March, with Manchester United and Chelsea meeting in the other last four tie.

It had been a fine run for Sheron’s side who had seen off Newport, Charlton, Preston and Arsenal, all at home, who are now bidding to reach their first final since 2012.

Of the desire to play out the competition, Rovers’ head of Academy Stuart Jones said: “I think it’s really important.

“The boys have done really well and we see it as one of the top competitions and a lot of the conversations are that it’s looking positive.

“I think there’s some final bits to add, but hopefully that will come out in the coming weeks that we can finish that competition and hopefully we can go on and win it because that would be brilliant for us all.”

Of the side which started the quarter-final win, only Flavien Enzo Boyomo and D’Margio Wright-Phillips, who was on loan from Manchester City, are no longer at the club.

Wright-Phillips, a scorer in the Arsenal won, wouldn't have been available anyway against his parent club, while Boyomo left Rovers for La Liga 2 club Albacete in August.

The remaining members of Sheron’s squad have either signed professional deals and progressed into Billy Barr’s Under-23s set-up or continued their scholarships. Jordan Eastham, Dan Pike, Isaac Whitehall, Jalil Saadi, Jake Garrett, Luke Brennan and Sam Burns all agreed pro deals at the club as reward for their progress.

Discussions over contracts had already begun before lockdown, and while the Youth Cup was a great chance to showcase their talents, Jones says those were handed out based upon the progress made over their two-year scholarships, not just the four fixtures in this competition.

He added: “We had previous conversations to that, but it’s then still a worrying time for some of the boys because the games finished and decisions had to be made quite quickly on some players.

“But there were previous conversations that were had and we had plans in place for those players that we were going to offer pro contracts to.

“The boys that we weren’t, we’d had conversations with them and plans put in place. But it was a worrying time because you’re trying to find a club in a difficult period so that was a challenge in itself.”