Derrick Williams faces a race against time if he’s to make the opening MLS game of the season.

Williams secured his move to LA Galaxy earlier this month with his deal at Rovers coming into its final months.

The Republic of Ireland international hadn’t played for Rovers since December following surgery on the injury picked up against Norwich City.

Tony Mowbray felt the defender was unlikely to play this season, but he has trained with his new team-mates as they prepare for their new season which starts on April 18 against Inter Miami.

However, he remains a doubt for his new side, as head coach Greg Vanney said: “We’re doing pretty good, Derrick is close. We hope to have him in the mix within the next week and starting to progress towards match minutes.”

Williams started all 10 matches that he was available for Rovers in the first half of the season, and endured a tough 2020, failing to make a single league appearance, and making the bench on just seven occasions.

The 28-year-old had been close to making a switch to the US last summer, with Galaxy and DC United both interested. Rovers resisted those advances, but allowed Williams to depart after 152 appearances since his 2016 arrival from Bristol City.

Williams holds an American passport so didn’t need to be added as an international player on the Galaxy roster ahead of the 2021 MLS season.

Speaking of Williams’ fitness upon his Rovers departure, Mowbray said: “Galaxy are taking him injured and I’m not sure he would have played any football for us before the end of the season before he’d have been out of contract so it made sense for us and Derrick for him to mutually agree to go to LA and finish his rehab there and get going when their season starts.”