Rovers are yet to hold talks over Lewis Holtby’s future which Tony Mowbray feels will be a family-based decision.

Holtby became a father for the first time earlier this season and returned to Germany to be with his wife for the birth. They have since settled in Manchester and Holtby is back in the side after a spell on the sidelines with a knee injury.

The 30-year-old returned to English football when joining Rovers as a free agent in September 2019 having previously had a two-year spell in London with Tottenham and Fulham which ended in 2015.

Despite an injury-hit time at Rovers, he’s been a key performer in the side when fit, playing 52 times in all, including 25 this season.

He leads the group of senior players whose futures are up for discussion this summer,  with Holtby having parted company with his long-time representative at the end of 2020.

Asked about the prospect of an extended stay, Mowbray said: “I think for Lewis that will be a family decision, where he feels his wife and child will be most settled.

“We’ll have discussions with them and see how he feels, whether he feels more comfortable in that environment in Germany or whether he enjoys it here in England.

“I haven’t had those discussions with him yet, I think he just wants to try and get fit, try and get in the team and impact the results over the last few weeks of the season.”

Rovers face key decisions around the futures of several senior players, not least in the midfield area.

Holtby, Joe Rothwell and Bradley Johnson have been regulars in the side and all see their current deals expire this summer. Rovers do have an option in the deal that saw Rothwell join from Oxford in 2018.

Corry Evans and Stewart Downing are also out of contract at the end of the season when Tom Trybull, one of five loan players on the club’s books, see their time at Ewood Park scheduled to come to an end.

Elliott Bennett, Ryan Nyambe, Charlie Mulgrew, Amari’i Bell, Joe Rankin-Costello and Harry Chapman are other players in the squad whose deals are up for renewal.

Rovers have opened talks with some of their senior players, but will leave others until the end of the season.