Tony Mowbray has hinted at a possible start for Dan Butterworth this afternoon after the attacker impressed in training.

Mowbray feels the 21-year-old has sensed an opportunity after the failure to land a striker on deadline day and the limited options available to the manager.

With FIFA sanctions set to rule Ben Brereton out of the next two games, and Brighton loanee Reda Khadra set to only be fit enough for a place on the bench, an opportunity could arise for Butterworth from the start.

He was used off the bench in the opening three matches, but hasn’t featured since, but Mowbray says the lack of deadline day action has raised the prospect of a first senior start.

“The positive is that the younger players at our football club will see an opportunity, Danny Butterworth is training like a demon, running, chasing, fighting, shooting off both feet, and he can smell an opportunity,” he said.

“Before the window shut he was potentially going out to some League One clubs on loan and now he’s seeing an opportunity to get some game-time in our first-team.

“He’s a young guy who’s bursting at the seams to show everyone what a good player he is.

“He’s undoubtedly got the quality, the speed and the power to wriggle past people and score goals and I hope he shows all the supporters what he’s about and makes a name for himself.”

Butterworth has made four substitute appearances in the Championship for Rovers and three more in the league cup. There have been gaps in his appearances because of two long-term back injuries, Butterworth not featuring for the first-team between April 2019 and December 2020.

With spaces opening up in the Rovers squad, Mowbray is expected to choose between Lenni Cirino, Ash Phillips and Connor McBride for the final spot.

Ryan Nyambe will return after injury, while Reda Khadra is also set for his first involvement, with Rovers without Hayden Carter and Ben Brereton while Harry Chapman has since moved to Burton Albion on loan.