Jan Paul van Hecke isn’t expected to feature until after the October international break but Tony Mowbray is comfortable with the return date for the loanee.

The Brighton defender signed last month but isn’t expected to feature in the next five matches because of a pre-existing injury.

Rovers also remain without fellow new signing Tayo Edun, although he could be involved in the weekend trip to Barnsley, while Reda Khadra is also still waiting to make his debut after signing on loan from Brighton.

Scott Wharton is due back from long-term injury within the next six weeks, while Rovers continue to manage the fitness of Daniel Ayala who has started all five matches alongside captain Darragh Lenihan. And Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph that van Hecke’s injury timeframe remains as it was when they sealed his signature

He said: “I think it might be the next international break, two or three weeks, before we can get him on the grass.

“I was fine with that at the time and I am now.

“We’re trying to manage Daniel’s workload and keep him on the pitch and playing matches.

“Darragh has been robust the last couple of seasons and hopefully will be again.

“We’ve got the emergence of Carter and Magloire so we’re not sat here worrying too much about it.

“He’ll be ready to play in three or four weeks and then on the next few weeks training with us.”

Rovers signed two loan defenders last season, in Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Jarrad Branthwaite, and in 2019/20 when Tosin Adarabioyo joined from Manchester City.

On what his latest loanee will bring, Mowbray said: “He heads the ball in both boxes, he passes the ball extremely well, he’s mobile, confident.

“He’s a good footballer, he brings some defensive stability for us, an ability to pick the right pass into midfield or the strikers.”

Meanwhile, Tony Mowbray questioned the amount of additional time that was signalled in the 2-2 draw with Luton Town.

Mowbray criticised referee Oliver Langford’s performance and believes the standard of officiating across the Championship hasn’t been good enough.

Luton scored in injury time, of which there were five minutes signalled, with Luke Berry netting in the 98th minute which followed a change of referee after Langford went down injured.

Even so, Mowbray questioned the amount of time played, and said: “I criticised the officials after the game and ultimately they don’t lose a header or don’t track a runner in the box, but I felt little things, how they got to five minutes, there’s no consistency from officials.

“If everything was the same every week then you’d understand.

“I would like an explanation sometimes and you can feel vulnerable that there is nothing coming.

“He didn’t have an answer, I wanted to know where he got five minutes from because there wasn’t five or six substitutions in the second half. 

“There were two injuries, he told me they were a minute each, and I asked where the other three minutes came from and he said there were three subs. I said that should be one-and-a-half minutes.

“If that goal went in after the re-start with the new referee after six-and-a-half minutes, where did the time come from? It feels wrong, yet it all feels like a rant and a complaining manager whose team lost a late goal but they should be accountable.

“I feel it most weeks, there’s not many weeks I come away and think ‘the referee was good today’ or that I didn’t notice the referee and weren’t arguing with the fourth official because we can’t understand the decisions on the pitch. That’s pretty rare unfortunately.”