Rovers hope Derrick Williams will help ease their defensive issues for Wednesday’s trip to Bristol City – with Tony Mowbray also full of praise for summer signing Daniel Ayala.

Rovers look set to lose Scott Wharton for an extended period after the central defender was taken off on a stretcher just 16 minutes into the weekend draw at Brentford with an Achilles injury.

Central defensive partner Darragh Lenihan was then sent off before half-time, while left back Barry Douglas didn’t emerge for the second half having only just returned to the side.

That meant Ayala had to marshal a makeshift back four, with John Buckley used at right back and Ryan Nyambe in the centre, as Rovers battled their way to a point courtesy of a late Jacob Davenport equaliser.

Williams has missed the last six matches with a quadricep injury but has returned to training and his return would hand his manager a big boost.

“Hopefully Derrick Williams will be pretty close, we’ll have to see,” he told the Lancashire Telegraph.

Ayala, signed as a free agent in September, was making just his fifth Rovers appearance when called for from the bench. He had a difficult evening against Millwall but put in a fine display against the Bees as 10-man Rovers put in a resolute rearguard action.

The 30-year-old had a spell on the sidelines either side of the international break with a groin injury that forced him off at Watford on October 21.

But delighted with his display in west London, Mowbray added: “That’s why we signed him, he’s a man, he understands the game, where to put himself, when to drop a bit deeper, wins really crucial header at times.

“He sticks his chest out and goes and engages, I’m really pleased for Daniel because it was a tough chat to tell him that he wasn’t playing and Wharton was coming back in.

“I was trying to manage his workload, not just throwing him in and playing three or four games in a short period of time.

“He needs to get himself back on the training ground for a few weeks putting the metres into his legs but he had to in an emergency.

“We’ll see what Wednesday brings and finding some semblance of a back four.”

Rovers extended their unbeaten run to seven games courtesy of their point at the Brentford Community Stadium.

Joe Rothwell had given Rovers the lead and at that stage Mowbray’s side looked well set for a fourth consecutive victory.

The sending off of Lenihan set them back, with Ivan Toney scoring from the spot before Sergi Canos put the hosts ahead with a fine strike just after the hour.

However, Rovers battled back to earn a point thanks to Davenport’s equaliser, as Rovers battled through the five additional minutes.

The result leaves Rovers two points outside the play-offs ahead of a tough double-header as they travel to Bristol City on Wednesday and then host Norwich City on Saturday.

Mowbray said: “We’re disappointed we didn’t get three points, I felt confident coming here that Brentford would suit us and it started that way for the first half hour.

“We have total respect for Brentford and their team and they’re someone who we aspire to try and catch them up in the years they’ve done what they do.

“The signs are that we are starting to become a team that can compete at the top end of the league.”

Hayden Carter travelled with the squad to Brentford but didn’t make the matchday squad. He could play for the Under-23s tonight as they host Tottenham in Premier League 2 (7pm).