Tyrhys Dolan and Harry Pickering have added to Rovers’ availability issues with the pair having not trained this week because of tonsillitis.

Ryan Nyambe and Darragh Lenihan will be available for Saturday’s visit of Coventry City after overcoming concussion and a thigh problem respectively, but Rovers have issues to contend with.

They include at left back, with Pickering having not trained this week leaving the prospect of him losing his ever present record, while Dolan’s potential absence comes at the same time as Rovers will be without Ben Brereton who is away on international duty with Chile, while Sam Gallagher is a doubt after limping out of the Blackpool defeat.

He took part in a small section of training on Thursday, and hasn’t been definitely ruled out of contention.

Jan Paul van Hecke could make his first appearance in a matchday squad after his outing in a behind closed doors game with Manchester United last week, while Bradley Johnson is now over the hamstring injury that has kept him out of action this season and is in contention for the Sky Blues visit.

Scott Wharton and Joe Rankin-Costello are still working to get up to speed, and could feature for the Under-23s who face Manchester United on Saturday lunchtime.

"If anything it's got less healthy to be honest," Mowbray said of his squad depth.

"We've been training with no strikers at all this week. Gallagher hasn't trained, Dolan's had tonsillitis and obviously Brereton's been away.

"It's a bit harsh to say we've been working in training with no strikers because Danny Butterworth has been good.

"On a free week we normally have good preparation for the team that we're playing and yet it's been massively disrupted this week for us. We usually train in different parts of the pitch so we'll leave it till tomorrow. If they don't train tomorrow, they won't play.

"We will try to organise the team and give it our best shot."

Brereton will play the third game of the international window for Chile in the early hours of tomorrow morning against Venezuela before returning to the UK.

Mowbray hopes to have the 22-year-old top scorer available for Tuesday’s trip to QPR, but has ruled him out of action for this weekend.

He added: "He's not in contention for Saturday. We hope he's in contention for Tuesday. It seems almost like a military operation to get him for Tuesday but fingers crossed he will be able to travel to QPR and play that game.”

Pickering has started every game this season, playing all but 17 minutes of the opening 12 league and cup fixtures, but like Dolan, is struggling with illness that could rule him out of contention, opening up the prospect of a first Rovers start for summer signing Tayo Edun.

“Pickering's been missing with some form of tonsillitis as well. It's been a bit chaotic this week with players unavailable to train, players ill and players taking tests,” the manager added.

"We'll see tomorrow. We'll try and put out the best team that we can and get back on the road that we were on before the last couple of games.

"It's a home game, a really good opportunity to take points off a good team who beat Fulham 4-1 in their last game. They're 3rd in the league, it's a tough game but with total respect to Coventry - and they're doing very well - they're a team that at home, we should be positive and aggressive against.”

Gallagher, who has three goals to his name this season, limped out of the Blackpool defeat with a hamstring injury and has struggled with groin issues earlier in the campaign.

Rovers will give him every chance of featuring this weekend, with the 25-year-old having taken part in some of this morning’s session.

He added: "He did the first 10 minutes today and then went off with the physio to do a bit extra. It's really about his reaction, to see how he feels. He would have tried to train this week and yet he felt discomfort and so he hasn't.

"I've tried to push the medical team to say let's get them on the grass. I come from an era when your leg had to be hanging off if you're not going to play. I'm trying to enforce the line that this is our football team, we need players available. We need them to play unless you're going to severely damage yourself.

"We don't want longevity of injuries but if we can get people to play, get their boots on and get out on the grass, then I would be hopeful Sam will do that. He's a big strong boy.

"But I do think they have to be involved in the team preparation and planning of the game so they need to train tomorrow.”