Daniel Ayala hasn't been ruled out of Rovers’ game at Coventry City – but Derrick Williams is available should the Spaniard not make it.

Ayala limped out of the midweek defeat at Watford with a groin problem, with Scott Wharton coming on in his place as Williams didn’t travel with the group.

The Republic of Ireland international had only returned to East Lancashire 24 hours earlier after being forced to self-isolate during his time away with the national team squad.

Ayala was playing his third consecutive match since signing as a free agent, and asked whether he was ruling out the 29-year-old, Mowbray said: “As I sit here now, no, it’s quite a minor injury.

“Like any injury, it’s a management injury. If we needed him to play and didn’t have other options then he could, but if we don’t need him to play then we won’t need him to put it in more danger.

“It’s risk and reward as everything is in this game. We’ll wait and see but I don’t want to sit here and rule him in or out.”

Like a number of Rovers’ signings, Ayala had been short of game-time prior to his move to the club, not playing between New Year’s Day and his Rovers debut against Cardiff City last month.

He hadn’t trained with a club between June, after leaving Middlesbrough, and September, when joining Rovers, and Mowbray says that will take some adjusting to.

“I don’t think it’s anything serious that will keep him out for any length of time,” he added.

“He’ll get a scan on it but hopefully just to confirm it’s a minor issue.

“He’s like a lot of the new players where he’s coming into an environment that’s probably more intense than he’s been used to or not been around a first-team squad.

“It’s been an intense training schedule they’ve been facing and their bodies are adjusting.

“With Daniel it will only be a slight muscular injury, we’ll wait and see about his availability in the next day, or the next week, but it won’t be any longer than that I’m pretty sure.”

Williams started the opening four Championship fixtures, helping Rovers to three consecutive three clean sheets, and was a miss in the back-to-back defeats.

“Derrick is on the grass training with us, back training with the group,” Mowbray said of the left-sided central defender.

“I don’t foresee any problems with Derrick and he’ll travel with us and we’ll see what Daniel’s situation is as well.

“Then we’ll pick the team we feel can go and get a result at Coventry.”

Joe Rothwell remains out, and could miss the Reading fixture next Tuesday, as he continues to self-isolate.

Sam Gallagher missed the Watford defeat after rolling his ankle in training, with a late decision expected on his possible involvement against Coventry.