Rovers named only eight substitutes for the draw at Rotherham United with Tom Trybull a late withdrawal from the squad.

Trybull has struggled with back issues throughout 2021 and a spasm caused him to miss six matches earlier this year.

The on-loan midfielder felt discomfort after training on Friday and has since undergone a scan which means is unlikely to feature again for the club.

With Lewis Holtby not considered for selection as his future lies away from Ewood Park, and Stewart Downing having travelled with the Under-23s for their game at Chelsea on Friday night, Mowbray had little option but to go with one less substitute.

Downing didn’t feature in the 1-0 defeat at Chelsea, where Daniel Ayala made his first appearance in four months after injury, instead travelling as part of the coaching set-up alongside manager Billy Barr.

With the youngsters not getting back until the early hours of Saturday morning, Mowbray said there was no other players able to be on the bench, with Joe Rankin-Costello, Scott Wharton and Bradley Dack all long-term injuries, and Jarrad Branthwaite having returned to Everton due to his ankle ligament injury.

He explained: “After training, Tom Trybull had a scan on a back problem he’s been carrying for a long time, weeks and weeks.

“He phoned me on Friday night and I said that it didn’t matter, he’s not my player, he’s a loan player, he’s a Norwich City player and has a year left on his contract and that he shouldn’t take a risk with the spasm that he’s got.

“We left him out.

“The Under-23s were away at Chelsea on Friday night so I said to him that we’d go with eight substitutes.

“I, more than anyone, play a weaken bench because I think it sends the wrong message, that’s why you’ve got young footballers, yet at that time of night, 10pm, you couldn’t register anyone and all the young players that we have registered were away at Chelsea and didn’t get back until 4am.”

Trybull, on loan from Norwich, was an unused substitute against Huddersfield and wasn’t involved at all in the win over Derby, despite being fit, then coming back into the side for the defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.

That was his 18th start of what has been a frustrating season-long spell at Ewood Park for the German who has come off the bench in a further seven matches.

He is under contract at Carrow Road for a further 10 months, but having been allowed out on loan this season, with Rovers contributing little over 10 per cent of his wages, the 28-year-old faces an uncertain future.

Bradley Johnson had been left out of the matchday squad against Huddersfield Town but replaced Corry Evans at Rotherham, the Northern Irishman dropping to the bench, with both of the experienced duo also out of contract.

Downing’s future is also set to be away from Rovers next season, the veteran having not featured in either of the last two matchday squads, which could see the 36-year-old look to pursue a career in coaching should he hang up his boots this summer.

Rovers’ other midfield options with their squad include Lewis Travis, Jacob Davenport and John Buckley, all under contract next season, while the club are set to trigger the 12-month option in the deal of Joe Rothwell which will mean he is under contract until 2022.

They round off their Championship campaign with a home game against Birmingham City on Saturday where Rovers could fill the bench should they opt to include Daniel Ayala in the matchday squad.

The alternative is to give the Spaniard more minutes when in Friday's Premier League 2 fixture against Chelsea or opt to include one of Billy Barr’s squad in the first-team set-up.