Rovers are targeting the FA Cup third round weekend as the comeback game at first-team level for Bradley Dack.

The attacker has spent almost a year on the sidelines following surgery on his cruciate knee ligament, with a slight hamstring concern setting him back a week.

That followed an outing in a behind closed doors game with Sheffield United which he came through 45 minutes, with Dack now pencilled in for another friendly game next week.

The plan would then be for another before the end of the year to boost his fitness yet still, before hopefully including him in a matchday squad for the FA Cup third round tie against Doncaster Rovers on January 9.

There had been hopes before now that Dack would have played for the Under-23s, or in another behind closed doors game, though Rovers are keen to ensure that when Dack does get on the pitch again, he doesn't break down.

“Like anyone who has been out 11 or 12 months it’s not always a smooth ride back,” Mowbray said.

“He did tweak his hamstring in training, very minor, but that set him back a week.

“We’ve got a game pencilled next week again where he will probably play 45 minutes and then we need to try and build it up.

“We’d like to aim for the FA Cup, early January, for giving him a run out for the first team.

“As I keep telling Bradley, from my perspective there’s no rush, the important thing is that he’s fully fit, mentally right, and ready to play without stress and strain and we can ease him back in.

“It’s a steady process. He’s back training with the team, he always lights up training, he’s a real great character on the grass, so within the next three or four weeks I would assume he’ll be contending to be back in the first-team picture and we’ll ease him back in.”