Harry Pickering has received the backing of Tony Mowbray to win his place back once he overcomes his calf injury.

Tayo Edun has been standing in at left back for Pickering who has missed the last three matches since limping out of the QPR defeat.

Illness had previously ended Pickering’s ever-present record in the side having enjoyed a solid start to life on the left side of Rovers’ defence since joining from Crewe Alexandra.

Fellow new addition Edun has taken over at left back in his absence, but Mowbray has earmarked another role for the former Lincoln City man, with the manager backing Pickering to regain his place once he overcomes his injury.

However, Edun has impressed in other areas, having started alongisde Pickering at QPR when picked in central midfield, and Mowbray hasn't ruled out both being in the same XI.

He said: “Harry Pickering is our left-back, first and foremost, I would say that. Tayo is filling in at left-back, I don’t necessarily see Tayo as a left-back.

“I think he’s having to do a job for us at the moment and he’s applying himself well to it, but in my opinion it’s not natural for him.”

Pickering has one goal and an assist to his name but it was his one-v-one defending that caught the eye in his early season appearances.

Daniel Ayala is currently sidelined by a similar injury, with Mowbray having been forced to changes in defence in recent weeks.

Mowbray is unable to put a timeframe on when either Pickering or Ayala will return, with Sam Gallagher Rovers’ other injured player, also being kept out by a calf issue.

Rovers moved for Pickering in the January transfer window before allowing him to finish last season with Crewe Alexandra and then joining in with the squad on a full-time basis in pre-season.

His attitude and application has impressed Mowbray who said: “Harry is everything I like about football.

“He’s got things he needs to develop, but he’s got a mindset that wants to get better and improve and he’s a player that we know we can polish up and he will be somewhere down the line, he’ll have Premier League clubs interested.

“Our target is always to try and buy players that can help us push towards it, but there’s a process to go through. Sometimes it takes a little bit of time to get them to be polished up enough to have eyes watching them from high above.

“But he’s a kid that we enjoy working with every day. He wants to watch his clips from training or his match clips and he goes out and practises and he works hard and developing his left foot and his one on one defending.

“We’re delighted that he’s here because he fits the culture of what we’re trying to bring to this club.”