Rovers have trained at Ewood Park ahead of their FA Cup tie with Doncaster Rovers to help beat the freeze.

Mowbray handed his players some time off following the win over Birmingham City, but preparations have been hampered heading into the weekend with the freezing conditions meaning they have had to train at Ewood Park, rather than Brockhall.

It comes as Rovers face a hat-trick of home games within the next two weeks, with Stoke City due at Ewood on January 16 and Swansea City three days later in the Championship.

Should Rovers progress in the FA Cup, and land a home tie in the fourth round, it would mean the cancellation of their scheduled Championship fixture at Middlesbrough, and mean five consecutive fixtures at Ewood to see out January.

Thinking further ahead, a home draw in round five as well would mean seven of their next eight matches would come at Ewood.

This comes as the playing surface at the club’s headquarters has come in for criticism, not least in the recent home game against Rotherham United, but added: ‘we have to get on with it’.

Rovers come into the game on the back of 12 games in 42 days between the November international break and the win at Birmingham on January 2.

Mowbray named a full strength team when the sides met in the Carabao Cup in August, and rested just two players for the second round of that competition at Newcastle United.

And he knows the importance of doing so against a Doncaster side riding high in League One under Darren Moore, with just 17 places separating the sides.

He added of the visitors: “They’re going really well, Darren is doing an amazing job with them, they have some really good players.

“We have to get the balance right. We have taken this period as a chance to give some players who played 12 games in 40 days for us a breather.

“The weather has dictated that a little bit, the pitches at the training ground are frozen, they’re unavailable, even though we’ve had the sheets on the frost has gone through.

“That’s why we’re at Ewood because we’ve used it for the last two days with the undersoil on.

“I have total respect for Darren Moore, a real football guy, brilliant human being, I’ve known him a long time and his team are playing well and scoring lots of goals and doing well.

“After today I wish him well.”