Richie Wellens says Doncaster are looking at goalkeeping options in the loan market amid links to Aynsley Pears.

Pears has been second-choice at Rovers since his switch from Middlesbrough last summer, making just four appearances in his debut season at Ewood Park.

That has led to talk around his short-term future and the prospect of a loan deal, with League One side Doncaster said to be among those interested.

The 23-year-old didn’t feature at AFC Fyle on Saturday, sitting the game out along with Thomas Kaminski, as Jordan Eastham and Antonis Stergiakis shared the game-time, as they did for the Under-23s last season.

The view of their readiness for first-team football, as back-up to Kaminski, will impact on the sanctioning of any possible deal for Pears who still has three years left to run on his contract.

He made three Championship appearances last season, and another in the FA Cup, against Doncaster, but did play 25 times for Boro prior to his Ewood Park arrival, as well as having loan spells with Darlington and Gateshead.

Doncaster have Louie Jones as the only goalkeeper currently on their books, a position Wellens is looking to strengthen, but says the club won’t be held to ransom over any such deal, or provide any commitment to game-time.

He told the Doncaster Free Press: “We have two or three options for a goalkeeper and we’re just trying to manoeuvre into position.

“There’s one we could possibly press the button on but the ratchet and punishments for not playing him are too high.

“If we can get those down then we could possibly press the button on that one.

“We really like Louis Jones. We do need another goalkeeper, we’re very aware of that.

“But the ratchet needs to be what we can afford if Louis Jones plays the season that we think he can play.”