There is more to come is the message from Tony Mowbray about wing duo Ian Poveda and Reda Khadra who he feels can challenge for a spot in Rovers’ established front three.

Both grabbed their first goals for the club after being handed recalls for the visit of Sheffield United having been short of game-time since their loan moves.

Khadra was making his first start while Poveda hadn’t made the starting XI since the draw with Barnsley in September, with Mowbray having preferred Sam Gallagher and Tyrhys Dolan as partners for top scorer Ben Brereton in the 4-3-3 system.

Mowbray feels it has taken a period of acclimatisation for both to learn the demands of what’s expected without the ball, but said they showed their talent in the Blades win.

“It’s good to have these options. Brereton-Dolan-Gallagher has been our front three but they have now shown that they can definitely make an impact,” Mowbray said.

Mowbray has been guaranteed work rate from Dolan, Gallagher and Brereton, but he feels the loan duo can provide something different, hence their signings in the summer.

Yet Mowbray says allying talent with workrate is required from the pair if they are to become established in the side after the international break.

He added: “They have been acclimatising, I would suggest, and I’m delighted for them they could impact on the game.

“They both are great kids and I was delighted to see them both score.

“Khadra likes to play off the left, come inside, Poveda plays on his left side and is a wonderful talent.

“He came from Leeds who have a huge work rate and that was why we took him, we could see the talent.

“We thought the workrate of playing for (Marcelo) Bielsa would see him slot into our team really well but he has taken some time to acclimatise to the job.

“I thought he did it really well, looked a threat, and great to see him get a goal.”

Khadra, aged 20, starred on his first outing in the win over Hull City but he had played just 15 minutes in Rovers’ previous five games to the Sheffield United win, including a spell out with illness.

Poveda, a year Khadra’s senior, started the first two games he was available for after joining from Leeds, but hadn’t been able to make the impact required off the bench before winning back a starting place.

Mowbray hopes the penny has now dropped, saying of the pair: “I’ve been talking to them a lot in my office about running, working to cut off passing lines and chasing, tackling, because they both just want to play with the ball, dribble and beat people and at Under-23s level it is like that sometimes because it’s almost like playing chess and everyone stands in their position and the ball moves around the pitch.

“This is the Championship and they have to run, work and fight and I thought they did that really well, plus brought the high quality that they possess.

“That’s why they’re here and I think their clubs have allowed them to come here to have a manager who shouts at them sometimes when they don’t do that, but they ran and both got a goal and I’m delighted for both.”