Sam Gallagher and Nick Powell were both taken off as a result of a collision with the advertising boards in the second half of the draw at Ewood Park.

Gallagher had only been brought on at the break when, after jumping for a set play with goalscorer Powell, the pair ended up colliding into the advertising boards behind the goal.

The Rovers attacker fell awkwardly on his back, and after trying to play on following treatment, was unable to continue and replaced by Ben Brereton.

Powell, who got his head to the ball but couldn’t direct it goalwards, also required treatment and despite playing on for longer, couldn’t complete the game after a blow to his ankle.

Gallagher was brought on as Rovers look to change tactics, moving him up front alongside Adam Armstrong in a switch to a 4-2-2-2 formation, but it had little chance to take effect as he was replaced by Ben Brereton following his injury.

“Gallagher was going on so we could turn them around a little bit. But then he had to come off,” Mowbray said.

“He said he’d got a spasm in his back that was running down the side of his body.

“We’ll assess it.”

There is better news on the injury front for Rovers as although Amari’i Bell was forced to sit out the Stoke draw, Elliott Bennett will return to full training next week, while Joe Rankin-Costello is ahead of schedule, with the hope he will be able to play again this month.

Captain Bennett has been out since October with ankle ligament damage, while a hamstring issue has kept Rankin-Costello on the sidelines following the draw at Luton Town in November.

Michael O’Neill gave an update on the fitness of Powell following the game, revealing like Gallagher it was the collision with the advertising boards that caused it.

He explained: “He jarred his ankle going over the advertising boards which saw both players involved go off.

“We’ve had a few troubles with those at our own ground this season, we’ve lost one or two players which is unfortunate.

“I think we missed him, at that point in the game we were dominant and Nick going off didn’t help us.”