Mark Robins says Coventry City will be facing a ‘strong unit’ in Rovers – even if Tony Mowbray faces being without several key figures.

Robins has returned the complement, after Mowbray lauded the ‘remarkable’ work of his opposite number in taking the Sky Blues from League Two to third in the Championship in the space of four years.

Mowbray faces his former employers this afternoon and will be without top scorer Ben Brereton, as well as potentially both Tyrhys Dolan and Sam Gallagher.

But equally full of praise for the work Mowbray has done in his four-and-a-half years at Ewood Park, Robins said: “They are a strong side, a strong unit, there is going to be maybe one or two players that he hasn’t got available for him but regardless they are a really strong group.

“Tony is a top manager who has been here before and knows the club and is somebody that likes to play football but also has some men in his side that know the game and know the Championship inside out.

“When Tony was here and it was very difficult, but he had a positive impact on the club then again when he went to Blackburn he had a positive impact there, got promoted the first time of asking and since then he has built steadily.

“The team has changed from last year, they’ve got Ben Bereton Diaz who is now playing for Chile and scored two goals this week back-to-back.

“You always want to perform against the best players that they’ve got available and he would fit into that category but Sam Gallagher as well, Tyrhys Dolan who’s been playing in there and they’ve got some really talented players and some really good experience so we look forward to the game.”

Coventry are set to be backed by a travelling following of close to 4,000, with Robins knowing they have an important role to play.

“There are almost 4,000 supporters going and it will be a really noisy atmosphere which is brilliant.” Robins said.

“That is motivation in itself and they are with the players 100 per cent and that is massively important. I say it every week and to have that number there and the noise they’ll generate will be invaluable.

“I think they are a fantastic group of people who are great fans that get behind the team and the players and you saw the atmosphere at Luton they were absolutely brilliant.”