Ben Brereton looks set to provide Rovers with some Christmas cheer as he pushes on with his injury rehabilitation.

When Brereton went off in the win over Millwall there were fears the 21-year-old would be set for an extended period on the sidelines with lateral knee ligament damage.

However, news from a scan on his knee was positive, with Brereton expected to miss only a matter of weeks.

Boss Tony Mowbray felt Rovers missed him in the defeat to Bristol City, with the injury likely to sideline Brereton for at least three more matches.

But a week’s break between the visit to Stoke City on December 19 and the Boxing Day visit of Sheffield Wednesday could provide the attacker with the chance to push for a return to action.

Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph: “Brereton is not far away. He’s a player we’ve missed, potentially he might have had that bit of individuality the other night, shifting the ball in the box and creating the odd chance as he has.

“That might have made the difference.

“He’s not available for this one, or Wednesday, but he’s not far and hopefully around the Christmas fixtures he’ll be back on the pitch and doing what he does.”

Rovers have no new injury concerns going into the weekend game against Norwich, but Brereton is included in a quartet of players who should return to the fold by early 2021.

Captain Elliott Bennett has been out for the last two months with an ankle problem, with Bradley Dack the longest-term absentee having missed 12 months with a knee ligament damage.

Knee injuries have also kept Lewis Travis and Brereton out of the side, but all four are making good progress.

“We have a few who are not far away and we’re hoping in the next couple of weeks we’ll have Dack, Brereton and Travis back training with the group on a full-time basis,” Mowbray said.

“Then hopefully into the New Year they’ll all be available again.

“Bennett might be a week behind them but he’s out of his (protective) boot now, bouncing around the building, he’s a very lively character in our dressing and you hear him generally before you see him.

“He’s not far away, in a good mood, and he’s a versatile player who can help our football team and one we could do with getting back.”

Corry Evans and Joe Rankin-Costello (both hamstring) are Rovers' longer-term injuries, the pair set for several more weeks out.